Missouri Governor Jay Nixon spoke to the media on Tuesday about law enforcement preparations to keep businesses and residents safe after a grand jury decision on whether to indict the police officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown on August 9.

When Brown was fatally shot in August, the residents of Ferguson, Missouri, endured days of protests, some of which were violent. This time, according to Gov. Nixon, “violence will not be tolerated.”

“Our dual pillars here are safety and speech,” Nixon added. “The vast majority of people who want to speak want to do so in a peaceful fashion.”

According to The Christian Science Monitor, police officers in the region have been given specialized training in crowd control and officers from around the region are ready to offer support to police in Ferguson. Nixon also said that the National Guard is ready to step in if local law enforcement and extra officers from around the state become overwhelmed.

“These measures are not being taken because we are convinced violence will occur, but because we have a responsibility to prepare for any contingency,” Nixon explained.

The Washington Times reported Tuesday that gun sales in the region have increased by 50 percent in the last several weeks as nervous residents prepare for the grand jury decision.