MILWAUKEE – On June 6, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle met with public safety professionals from the FBI, Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee Fire Department and other experts from throughout the region to discuss the security plan for the 2024 Republican National Convention.

The meeting occurred after Director Cheatle toured sites slated for the 2024 RNC, which runs from July 15-18 in Milwaukee. The Fiserv Forum, Baird Center, and Panther Arena were part of the visit, which included security briefings from Secret Service personnel and other public safety partners.

Following the site visits, Director Cheatle met with FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey B. Norman, Fire Chief Aaron Lipski and other 2024 RNC executive steering committee members. The security plan for National Special Security Events, to include the 2024 RNC, is developed and approved through this committee, which is made up of representatives from supporting federal, state, and local agencies. As part of this process, subcommittees that focus on a particular area of the overall security plan are also formed, including traffic management, business and community impact, and maritime security. These subcommittees provide frequent updates and briefings to the executive steering committee. 

“The Secret Service collaborates with our local counterparts for every protective visit, investigation, and large event,” said Director Cheatle. “This expert teamwork will be on full display throughout the Republican National Convention. I want to thank our federal, state, and local partners for their work over this last year. I am confident in the plan being developed and am looking forward to a safe and secure convention.”

“The Milwaukee Police Department is grateful for the positive collaboration we have with all of our law enforcement partners at all levels of government, including the United States Secret Service. Through these partnerships and planning efforts, we look forward to keeping all of Milwaukee safe during the RNC,” Milwaukee Police Chief Norman said.

“The Milwaukee Fire Department holds its responsibility to provide fire suppression, emergency medical services, specialized and technical rescue, and humanitarian services to ALL persons within the City of Milwaukee. We welcome and celebrate the Republican National Convention coming to Milwaukee. A critical key to the success of our RNC mission is aggressive and comprehensive pre-planning of resource needs, asset assignments, training, and communication pathway mapping. I can say that we have rarely experienced the level of sincere integration as we have with the United States Secret Service leadership team and Milwaukee Police Department in ensuring the safety of both RNC participants and Milwaukeeans alike during the RNC,” Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said.

The 2024 RNC is the Secret Service’s 78th National Special Security Event. The agency is entrusted with planning, coordinating, and implementing security operations for NSSEs and has a proven track record since 1998. Other notable examples of these high-profile events include the U.N. General Assembly, the State of the Union Address, and presidential inaugurations.

For more information regarding the public safety efforts ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention, please visit the City of Milwaukee’s website at https://city.milwaukee.gov/RNC

To view the full press conference, please visit https://youtu.be/itVS_iDpkak