Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said he will not feel comfortable hosting the Republican National Convention unless the sheriff agrees the event can take place safely, Forbes reports.
Curry, who is the co-chairman of the Republican National Convention Host Committee, said Tuesday he agrees with security concerns raised by the Duval County sheriff about hosting the GOP convention.
"Any event, anything we put on in the city of Jacksonville, I have to have my sheriff telling me it can be done," Curry said.
Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams told Politico on Monday there is not an adequate plan in place that he feels will keep people safe during the event.
"It's not my event to plan, but I can just tell you that what has been proposed in my opinion is not achievable right now . . . from a law enforcement standpoint, from a security standpoint," he told Politico.
Williams requested an additional 2,000 officers from across the state of Florida to provide security for the convention. He said only 500 will be able to go and noted a planned $50 million grant for security has been cut to $33 million, according to Forbes.
Curry told reporters he was not surprised by Williams' concerns over safety.
The Republican National Committee said it continues to remain "confident" the convention can go on safely.
Curry told reporters, officials are still working on a security plan for the event, which is scheduled to take place Aug. 24-27.
The RNC has had to make changes to the event amid the coronavirus pandemic. It already moved the celebratory parts of the event from North Carolina to Florida. Since it announced the new venue, it has agreed to move some of the events to outdoor venues to help prevent the spread of the virus among attendees.
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