The sheriff of Jacksonville, Florida, said he isn’t sure his department has the money or the manpower to provide the Republican National Convention’s security.
“As we’re talking today, we are still not close to having some kind of plan that we can work with that makes me comfortable that we’re going to keep that event and the community safe,” Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams told Politico on Monday.
The Republican Party selected Jacksonville at the last minute to host aspects of the 2020 iteration after Democratic leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, refused to guarantee a crowded gathering could take place amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Jacksonville’s program includes President Trump’s acceptance of the nomination.
Williams, a Republican, described what GOP officials had currently proposed as not being “achievable right now … from a law enforcement standpoint, from a security standpoint,” despite asking the Florida sheriff and police chief associations for help.
With the convention slated for a month’s time between Aug. 24 and 27, Republicans still haven’t finalized venues and have attached conditions to their budgeted $33 million, less than the anticipated $50 million.
“We do need law enforcement officers, and we’ve gotten commitments, but not to the level that we thought we needed,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of things that need to happen: an event schedule nailed down and being able to sign contracts and spend money so that we can prepare for this event. And none of that has happened yet.”
RNC spokeswoman Mandi Merritt told the Washington Examiner the party was working “closely with local leadership in Jacksonville.”
“And the Department of Justice is in the process of allocating millions of dollars in a safety grant,” she said. “Jacksonville has accommodated upwards of 70,000 people for football games and other events, and we are confident in state, local, and federal officials to be able to ensure a safe event for our attendees.”
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel last week announced plans for a pared-down convention. The party, for instance, would use a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces, including the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, TIAA Bank Field, Daily’s Place amphitheater, and 121 Financial Ballpark.
Audience attendance will also be limited, McDaniel said. Delegates will be invited to take part every day, but alternate delegates and guests will only be permitted for the final day’s festivities.
