Security plans are already underway for the 2020 Democratic Convention in Milwaukee.
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"The planning has already started, it starts with our Homeland Security our Fusion center and identifying the different types of threats that we are going to be looking at when this comes around," Police Chief Alfonso Morales said.
Morales says his team was part of the DNC site selection committee's summer trip to Milwaukee. Since then at least some planning has been underway because the security effort will be larger than just the city's police force.
"This utilizes all hands on deck from local police departments. This is not just the city of Milwaukee, this is Milwaukee County, the County Sheriff’s, surrounding jurisdictions as well as the state of Wisconsin as well as our federal partners," said Morales.
As part of the city's commitment to hosting the convention, security costs were part of a common council resolution passed this morning.
"The Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee Fire Department will be working with Homeland Security and the Secret Service to put together a security plan with the DNC and the host committee" said Milwaukee Assistant City Attorney Mary Schanning. "tThe cost for doing this security is expected to be paid by federal grants in the amount of approximately $50 million."
If for some reason the grants don't get approved by congress, the host committee is on the hook for the security costs.
The money also includes funding for additional liability insurance polices for the police department.
Morales says members of his department will likely travel to past convention cities like Philadelphia and Cleveland to learn more about security needs.