How the US Secret Service and Milwaukee Police will keep the RNC safe

(NewsNation) – Former President Trump recently said that he believes in crime in Republican National Convention the host city, Milwaukee, needs “fixing.” Daily crime data published by local authorities shows that the city has seen a significant drop in most crimes.

Homicides fell 15% year-to-date, rapes (-19%), aggravated assaults (-11%) and robberies (-21%), according to city ​​crime data from Friday.

Milwaukee saw increases in some types of crimes, including robbery, which increased 2 percent over the same period last year, human trafficking (+11 percent) and auto theft (+14 percent).

Local, state and federal authorities are tasked with keeping a downtown area infiltrated by over 50,000 people safe.

Keeping downtown safe remains a priority, as does ensuring that Milwaukee residents who live in the city year-round still feel like they are receiving the law enforcement efforts they expect.

“We have to understand that yes, we have a big event happening in the city center,” Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman he told NewsNation. “But there is still a greater responsibility to ensure that there is adequate coverage of the rest of the city because the city deserves protection not just in the city center, but throughout the city.

“But that’s what I call all hands on deck.”

RNC Threat Assessment

Heading into the four-day political convention, the US Secret Service announced that there is “nothing credible” regarding direct threats involving the central region where the event will be held.

Federal authorities characterize the security situation as constantly “evolving” both in the case of next week’s RNC and in the case of Democratic National Conventionwhich is scheduled for August in Chicago.

In a new threat assessment report, special political events like the RNC they are “attractive targets for domestic violent extremists, foreign terrorists, and lone criminals seeking to disrupt democratic institutions or cause ‘social chaos.’”

The Secret Service will serve as the lead law enforcement agency for the RNC and will oversee the design and implementation of the event’s security plan, an agency spokesperson told NewsNation. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the city received US$75 million in federal funds for security costs at the RNC.

Chicago will receive the same funding for the DNC in August, according to the report.

Efforts are coordinated with the Milwaukee Police Department as well as the Wisconsin State Patrol to ensure those attending the convention remain safe. However, out of concern for operational security, the Secret Service does not discuss what specific security measures will look like, the spokesperson said.

Norman said success comes down to communication and trust in event planning.

“I know we will have enough agency heads and elected leaders that we can come together and rise to the occasion,” he said.

Possibility of extremists

Director of the Secret Service Kimberly cheats said in an interview with ABC news that extreme political polarization contributes to the possibility of a security threat at an event like one of the two upcoming conventions.

“I think the environment we’re dealing with today is certainly different than it was four years ago,” Cheatle said. “I’m sure we’ll see an evolution over the next four years as well, but it’s definitely something we take into consideration.”

The Secret Service said it uses a unified command model in which multiple levels of law enforcement coordinate different aspects of the security plan. The collaborative effort includes city and county Emergency Management Offices, which work closely with the Secret Service and other local and state agencies.

“The experience of each participating agency is critical to the success of the operational security plan,” Secret Service spokesperson Alexi Worley wrote in an email to NewsNation.

Due to the political nature of the convention, Norman knows that keeping things safe in the midst of a sometimes hostile political landscape makes this different.

“It’s no secret that there are some challenges with our policy, not just at the local level, but at the national level,” Norman said. “But we must be neutral when it comes to this protection and response. No matter what your political leanings are, what your feelings are, it’s mutual respect for both sides and all sides.”

RNC security allows some weapons

Security measures are being put in place at a convention in which certain firearms can be brought to the security area outside the Fiserv Forum and other buildings where convention events will be held, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Weapons prohibited by state law include machine guns, fully automatic weapons, sawed-off shotguns and silencers.

Milwaukee City Councilman Scott Spiker said the idea of ​​guns being allowed in the soft area “seems ridiculous,” the Journal Sentinel reported. Other leaders, such as the Common Council President José G. Pérez said that while law enforcement agencies are working to keep the area safe, allowing guns in some areas around the RNC is “a concern.”

Milwaukee is a ‘horrible city’ due to crime, Trump reportedly said

Trump allegedly characterized Milwaukee as a “horrible city” in a private meeting with House Republicans. He also criticized other Democratic-run cities such as Chicago and Washington, D.C., citing violent crime levels.

A spokesperson for Trump said the former president never called the city horrible but was instead talking about “how terrible the crime and voter fraud are.”

At a campaign stop in nearby Racine, Trump changed his tune, saying he loves Milwaukee and claiming credit for choosing the city to host the RNC. However, he said the city’s crime levels needed to be “fixed”.

In response, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson defended the city while criticizing Trump’s time in the White House.

“If Donald Trump wants to talk about things he considers horrible, we all lived through his presidency. So come back to you, friend,” Johnson told reporters. “It’s kind of weird that he would insult the biggest city in Wisconsin because he’s running for president; he absolutely wants to win Wisconsin, win the election. So I think insulting the state that’s hosting your convention is kind of bizarre, actually. It’s a little unbalanced.”

Norman, the police chief, said that as a longtime resident, he is proud of the city and the way it represents itself as it takes center stage in Republican politics.

“This will be our time to shine,” Norman said. “I’ll never say there won’t be challenges, but we will overcome them…But this isn’t about the police. It’s about the RNC. It’s about showcasing our city.”

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story