The advocacy group Chicago Loop Alliance is expanding its ambassadors safety and hospitality program starting this week to the central Loop — beyond its normal focus on State Street — for four months through the busy summer tourism and festival season and the Democratic National Convention in August.

Unarmed paid ambassadors wearing yellow and black uniforms are trained in de-escalation tactics and help prevent violence, illegal activity and “unwanted behavior.”

Summer brings a surge in tourism and visits to Chicago’s downtown. But crime and public disturbances also increase during hot summer months. Ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Mayor Brandon Johnson, like his predecessors, held a news conference to outline plans to curb summer violence.

The Loop Alliance Ambassadors program, in its third year, “will also help prepare for the influx of visitors to Lollapalooza, NASCAR and the Democratic National Convention,” said Ciere Boatright, Chicago Department of Planning and Development commissioner.

In their expanded area of patrol, Loop Alliance ambassadors will cover the central Loop from Dearborn Street to Canal Street and Ida B. Wells Drive to Wacker Drive during afternoons and evenings, five days a week. They will supplement State Street ambassadors, who focus on State Street from Ida B. Wells to Wacker Drives seven days a week.

“Chicago Loop Alliance ambassadors provide essential services of safety and hospitality that create a sense of stability for Loop residents, workers and visitors,” said Michael Edwards, president and CEO of Chicago Loop Alliance.

Ambassadors provide directions; greet people; conduct business check-ins; observe and report negative behavior; provide information on shopping, dining and exploring; and assist people in need of social services or who are experiencing homelessness.

There are up to 24 ambassadors for the expanded Loop summer patrols in addition to the 18 ambassadors in the full-time State Street Team Ambassadors program, which started in 2014. The Magnificent Mile Association, another downtown advocacy group, also organizes an ambassador program.

For the ambassador programs, Chicago Loop Alliance contracts Streetplus, a national cleaning, safety and hospitality services company that works across the United States.

Specially trained Streetplus Street Teams focus on public safety issues, such as panhandling and homelessness, and work with the Chicago Police Department and the City Department of Streets & Sanitation.