Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams worries about RNC security

Jacksonville, FL — Sheriff Mike Williams sat down with Action News Jax Monday afternoon to express his concerns about the security of the city during the Republican National Convention. He told Action News Jax’s John Bachman, “We don’t have what we need today to go forward with the current plan for the Republican National Convention.”

Williams said the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office only has 25% of the resources it needs to protect the convention and its attendees. He said no contracts have been signed and he said JSO is past the point of no return to execute the RNC safely.

There are fewer than 35 days left to plan. The RNC is scheduled to be in Downtown Jacksonville from August 24-27.

Watch the full interview with Sheriff Williams here:

Interview with Sheriff Mike Williams Interview with Sheriff Mike Williams

Here’s the statement released by the sheriff at 3:45 p.m.:

For Immediate Release Public Information Office, (904) 630-2133

Sheriff Williams Provides Update on RNC Security

JACKSONVILLE, FL (July 20, 2020) - With less than forty (40) days until the expected Republican National Convention is slated to arrive in Jacksonville, I am compelled to express my significant concerns with the viability of this event. It is my sole responsibility to provide safety and security for our city and more importantly, for the citizens who I serve. With a growing list of challenges - be it finances, communication, and timeline, I cannot say with confidence that this event and our community will not be at risk.

We knew some months back that this effort was going to be a huge lift. Our teams were up for the challenge and met every obstacle with creative problem solving and an unwavering commitment to meet the mission. With a timetable that was aggressive, to say the least, the communication required to make the critical steps come together just never seemed to gel. And still has not.

My team identified the key resources critical to this plan and, to date, I can only confirm that twenty-five percent (25%) of the ask has been answered. Some of this is due to concerns for reimbursement, while additional issues are related to the pandemic we are still facing.

Let me close with my appreciation for the men and women of JSO who have stepped up to do everything that has been asked of them. Additionally, I want to thank our state and federal partners that have been working diligently with my team to plan for this major event. Every effort made – the countless hours – has been committed to meet the mission to keep our city safe. At this point, we are simply past the point of no return to execute the event with safety and security that is our obligation.

Action News Jax got this statement from the Republican National Committee at 4:30 p.m.:

“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. 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 Spokesperson Emma Vaughn

Cox Media Group