Jacksonville sheriff warns GOP convention security plan ‘not achievable right now’

Duval County, Fla., Sheriff Mike Williams (R) said Monday that his office is unable to provide security for the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, citing lack of plans and insufficient funds and manpower.

“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,” Williams told Politico. “It’s not my event to plan, but I can just tell you that what has been proposed in my opinion is not achievable right now … from a law enforcement standpoint, from a security standpoint.”

Both parties’ political conventions have struggled with the logistics of arranging the event during the coronavirus pandemic, but Williams said the August convention changing locations from Charlotte, N.C., to Jacksonville in June left his office with insufficient time to prepare.

Williams said the Republican National Committee (RNC) still has yet to definitively establish the specific venues for individual events during the convention, and that a $50 million grant has been reduced to $33 million.

Rising coronavirus cases in Florida have also made it harder for Williams to recruit law enforcement to provide security, Williams said.

“We do need law enforcement officers and we’ve gotten commitments, but not to the level that we thought we needed. And a lot of that is people having virus concerns from their communities, and I understand that,” Williams told Politico.

“But 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,” he added. “So here we are inside of 40 days, and I haven’t really pulled the trigger on anything RNC-related when it comes to finances or contracts and so, you know, only related to security, mind you, nothing, nothing related to any of this.”

“The RNC continues to work closely with local leadership in Jacksonville on planning for the convention, including on health and security measures, and the Department of Justice is in the process of allocating millions of dollars in a safety grant,” RNC spokesperson Mandi Merritt told The Hill. “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.”