CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will receive a $50 million federal grant for security for the 2020 Republican National Convention.

• Activists are concerned the grant will be used to buy militarized equipment
• CMPD won't disclose purchases until after the convention is over 
• All purchases and contracts over $100,000 have to be approved by city council

"All we're asking for before CMPD buys anything that can be used to harm someone in our commuinty or suveil someone in our community, that city council should at least be able to weigh in on that decision," Robert Dawkins with Safe Coalition said.

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Currently, all purchases and contracts over $100,000 have to be approved by city council, but those under this threshold can be approved by the city manager. CMPD says the department won't disclose what it buys until after the convention is over for security reasons.

“We have to balance responsibility which is safety and making sure that we don’t give the bad guys the blueprint by which we're protecting ourselves, but we also need to make sure we hold everyone accountable and I do see that side,” Charlotte council member Tariq Bokhari said.

Spectrum News reached out to CMPD for a list of equipment purchased for the 2012 Democratic National Convention.