California Deploys Law Enforcement to Support Security at RNC in Wisconsin

Law enforcement officers ride bicycles as they patrol the area near the Fiserv Forum, the site of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 14, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

California law enforcement officers will help strengthen security efforts at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Wisconsin this week, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said on July 15.

According to the office, 61 law enforcement members, including the California Highway Patrol and officers from the Fresno, Long Beach, and Bakersfield police departments, are included in the deployment.

“It is critical we support our law enforcement colleagues in Wisconsin and the safety of participants at this significant event,” said office director Nancy Ward in a statement.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the request for these officers had been planned since May.

The officers deployed for this event from California will work with other law enforcement agencies in Milwaukee—where the convention is being held from July 15 to 18—on crowd management, traffic control, and other public security measures, Mr. Newsom’s office said.

Officers for this event are participating in the nationwide Emergency Management Assistance Compact, an interstate mutual aid agreement that enables states to share resources during times of need.

The RNC is coordinating with the Secret Service and 40 different law enforcement agencies to secure the convention, Chairman Michael Whatley said on July 14 during an interview with Fox News.

Security concerns arose on Saturday, July 13, after the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, was shot in an assassination attempt during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The former president’s ear was pierced by a bullet while delivering a speech. Three spectators were also shot, one fatally. The FBI has begun investigating the shooting as an assassination attempt and identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the alleged shooter.

“I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting,” said U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle in a statement July 15.

She said the Secret Service would work with federal, state, and local law enforcement as well as public safety partners to carry out security plans for the event. Ms. Cheatle also said the agency would adapt operations as necessary to ensure “the highest level of safety and security for convention attendees, volunteers, and the City of Milwaukee.”