What to know about Secret Service's final planning for the RNC in Milwaukee

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was in Milwaukee Thursday for a series of briefings ahead of the Republican National Convention that is set to kick off in fewer than 40 days.

The "national special security event" will have safety measures enforced by the Secret Service, Milwaukee Police Department, the FBI, the National Guard and outside agencies brought to the city.

Several key decisions, including the outline of the finalized "hard" security perimeter surrounding Fiserv Forum, where the convention will be held, have yet to be announced.

The RNC will take place July 15-18, and is expected to bring tens of thousands of visitors to the city.

Hard perimeter for RNC, including disputed Pere Marquette Park, not yet determined

Cheatle has been under growing pressure from top Republicans to alter the "hard" perimeter to include Pere Marquette Park, on the west side of the Milwaukee River.

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Cheatle said that the Secret Service is communicating with the RNC's Committee on Arrangements and law enforcement, but she did not say whether the agency will change the perimeter.

Anthony Guglielmi, the chief of communications for the Secret Service, said the current security perimeter is based on the plan the RNC previously gave the agency, but that the RNC's plans may change in coming weeks.

"The RNC may want to expand their area, they may want to change it, so until that final day, which is which is about two weeks, we're not making any final decisions on the perimeter," Guglielmi said.

'Blast zone' goes into determining hard perimeter

In approximately two weeks, the Secret Service plans to announce its finalized maps of the perimeter zones for the convention.

Cheatle said there are a number of factors that go into creating the perimeter, including a "blast zone" assessment and communicating with local residents and businesses to minimize disruptions.

Guglielmi said the blast zone assessment is based on all types of threats, including bombs, vehicles and other things that could become a threat to the convention.

"It's more than just a, you know, explosion," Guglielmi said. "It's kind of a variety of threat data and protective intelligence data."

Secret Service working to make 'tweaks' for local businesses

Guglielmi said the Secret Service previously canvassed local businesses and residences in downtown Milwaukee neighborhoods for information on how they will receive services like deliveries and garbage pickup during the convention.

"We are also intentional about creating a plan that minimizes impact to the community as much as possible," Cheatle said.

Guglielmi said there are "tweaks" still being made to the perimeter and that the "in the weeds" decisions for local businesses will be finalized in the next couple of weeks.

He added that despite any changes the Secret Service makes to mitigate interruptions in daily life, there will still be disruptions and heavy traffic.

Security footprint will not change for guns

The "hard" perimeter will be a weapon-free zone, Cheatle said, and anyone entering the zone will have to be credentialed and pass through security.

As for the full security footprint, the Secret Service is not expecting to change its boundaries based on guns.

The City of Milwaukee is considering an ordinance to ban dozens of items inside the soft perimeter or security "footprint," where the public will be able to enter. However, it recently came to city officials' attention that under Wisconsin law guns would be allowed in that area immediately outside the "hard" perimeter while non-plastic containers, tennis balls and other typically innocuous items would be prohibited under the ordinance.

Cheatle was asked Thursday whether the "hard" perimeter would be adjusted based on Wisconsin's law allowing guns in the area immediately outside.

"We're fully aware of the laws of the state and the ordinances of the city," Cheatle said. "So again, when we are making those decisions about what our perimeter is, we take that into account as well."

Plans for outside police agencies still ongoing for RNC

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said there is a "very steady" mutual aid agreement with outside law enforcement agencies to help the city's police department.

Norman said agencies both inside and outside the state will have arrest powers based on the emergency order Governor Tony Evers issued last week.

As many as 4,500 law enforcement officers from agencies outside Milwaukee could come to assist with the convention.

As for what each department and agency will be doing, Norman said that is still an ongoing conversation, though he did say it is important that Milwaukee's Police Department be at the "forefront."

"This is our community," Norman said. "This is the individuals that we are interacting with on a daily basis. So utilizing that as a first line in regards to a response and then find out what are the best resources to help fulfill those other responsibilities."

No targeted training for Milwaukee Police ahead of RNC

While the Milwaukee Police Department does have field force and de-escalation training, Norman said there will not be targeted training for the department ahead of the RNC.

"This particular event to us is nothing different than any other event that is going on in the city of Milwaukee," Norman said.

Norman did say the department knows there will be protests, and is considering how to adjust to those situations and how to put their "best foot forward" in any interactions.

"This is about the event. It's about those who are attending the event. And we all want to be in the background in regards to this particular type of event," he said.

Tristan Hernandez can be reached at [email protected]. Alison Dirr can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Secret Service's final planning for RNC