With the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, a little over a month away, Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams says a lot of things still need to come together in order for him to provide adequate security for the event.
Williams, a Republican, told Politico it's still not clear what events will be held and where, and they are "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. 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."
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As Williams waits for the RNC schedule, he has asked for 2,000 officers from across the state to work in Jacksonville during the event, but so far, only about 500 have committed, Politico reports. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood is sending two dozen officers, but told Politico he does not think the convention should be held amid the pandemic. It takes months to plan a convention, and "that's without COVID-19," he said. "There's going to be tons of issues. This has something that has never ever happened before. And for some reason common sense is being thrown out the window."
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Mandi Merritt said in a statement that "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." Read more at Politico.
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