Jacksonville mayor, sheriff worry about GOP convention security

MIAMI — Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Tuesday that he agrees with the Duval County sheriff that the existing security plan and resources for the Republican National Convention are inadequate, and said he would not be comfortable hosting the event next month unless that changes.

“Any event, anything we put on in the city of Jacksonville, I have to have my sheriff telling me it can be done,” said Curry, the Republican co-chairman of the 2020 Jacksonville Host Committee, “that he has the resources he needs and that it can be done in a safe and responsible way.”

Speaking to reporters on a video call about the novel coronavirus, Curry said he, the Republican National Committee and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office are continuing to plan for the Aug. 24-27 event in downtown Jacksonville. But he said those efforts must address concerns raised Monday by Republican Sheriff Mike Williams that planning for event security is “past the point of no return.”

The city and private host committee have been scrambling to fund and prepare for the bulk of the Republican convention festivities — including President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech — since before the RNC announced June 11 it was moving most of the events to Florida from North Carolina. Trump wanted to move the convention to Florida to ensure he could celebrate his acceptance of the party’s presidential nomination in a filled venue before thousands of supporters.

But a surge in novel coronavirus cases in Florida and throughout the country has forced the RNC to downsize its plans and bring in additional, outdoor venues in the downtown area.