Yes.
Hi, all, we're going to be starting about five minutes just working through a network
issue with the pool, so just hang with us for a minute, okay?
Okay.
All right.
All right Giffs.
All right.
All Right.
All right.
Now.
All right.
and I'll look at yours office.
Yes ma'am, Mark Meredith of Fox News.
Curious, obviously, you don't wanna talk
about what happened in Pennsylvania.
Have you had to change your security posture at all here?
And if so, how is it a small percent change?
Is it looking at over everything once again?
And then a follow-up question would be,
just in terms of resources,
I think you mentioned 18 months has been going into this.
Do you feel like you had all the resources you needed
to get to this point today,
or do you feel like more closely now?
So as Mayor Johnson and Chief mentioned,
this is a national special security event.
That designation is the highest level
of security designation that the federal government
can determine.
So we are confident that in these security plans
that are in place for this event, and we're ready to go,
it's been an 18 month process.
It's the, we've worked together over that 18 months
to develop operational security plans
for any and all aspects of security related to this event.
But did it change within the last one,
and any change that made it within the last 24?
We're not debating any changes
to our operational security plans for this event.
Okay, great, great friend, that one checks.
Okay.
Um, very specific, so with the law,
the eternal cycle,
Wisconsin dollar guard 20 years told us a little bit ago
that he is calling for his service to ban firearms, guns,
and soft women are not just in vice reform.
Is that something that the secret service
is considering or is doing?
I have not had any conversations regarding that,
so I can't speak to that.
Okay, you said any of your questions for the secret service,
do you know if that request is actually made of this point?
I have not had any conversations regarding that,
so I can't speak to that.
Right, right, right, I'm tied to you.
Is the secret service currently anticipating
or currently planning to expand the perimeter?
We're not anticipating any changes
to our current security equipment.
Currently, including a lot of firearms
into the soft perimeter, as it is right now.
Anything in the soft perimeter is outside
of our federal jurisdiction.
But why should former President Trump,
his family and the convention goers,
have confidence in the U.S. Secret Service
to secure this site here over the next four days
after his life was nearly taken yesterday, and that's okay.
So this event has been designated
as a national special security event,
which is the highest level of security for an event
that can be designated by the government.
So this is a whole-of-government approach.
We've had an extensive planning process
to include many organizations building
out the operational security plans
for any and all aspects of security-related to this event.
Have you had the resources you need?
Yes, we are fully prepared
and have a comprehensive security plan in place,
and we're ready to go.
Any of you have any questions?
Can't you remember in CBS news?
Why are you not expanding the perimeter?
So we're confident in the current plan that we have.
It is based off of technical assessments,
protective intelligence,
and we are continuously monitoring information
related to the event.
So we're confident for plans that we have,
and we're moving forward with those plans.
And then why are you not concerned
that people can carry firearms within that soft perimeter?
So again, the Secret Service Interpreminer
is our primary jurisdiction,
so I would defer any questions related to outside of that zone
to my partners here on the stage.
So one of the things I've understood
in regards to the interpreminer,
it's a large interpreminer that has been part of a convention
to my understanding.
Maybe you have to get that clarified.
And so that is one important point
to be able to understand in regards to what
that level of security about what the interpreminer looks like.
In regards to the ability to carry a firearm
outside of the interpreminer,
again, our state law allows for the particular right
to carry a firearm.
We as a city cannot legislate out of that,
and I don't know if our mayor wants to speak
on that anymore in regards to that.
And so for we in regards to our law enforcement
as to think we'd have to operate within those guidelines.
Unless there's something that is against state law,
we have to respect the second minimum, right?
You carry your firearm, especially in regards
to the open carry or carry and conceal with your license.
And so that is a, again, issue that we have to navigate,
and I will say this, and I've said this many times,
as that is your right,
please exercise your right in a responsible manner.
Please ensure that the behaviors
that we would like to see for those
with that responsibility and aligns
with that responsibility.
And what completes the parliament
will not tolerate any particular behaviors
outside of what is legally allowed in regards to that right.
Thank you, Chief.
And just to reiterate what the Chief said,
local ordinances in the state of Wisconsin
do not supersede state law.
Wisconsin is an open carry state,
and therefore the city of Milwaukee
and no other jurisdiction in this state
can supersede that state law.
Folks should be aware of that proactively
before the convention gets started.
We did take action at the local level
to ban items that we could ban.
So we used our authority already at the municipal level
to take that sort of security precaution
that we were able to do.
But in terms of banning weapons in the outer perimeter,
that is not within our purview because of state law.
I get a dance in the New York Times for the secret service.
If there have any changes to the overall security plan,
whether it changes to the protection plan
or for the former president,
its family and other elected officials.
So I'm the R&C coordinator,
so I can only speak to the National Special Security event.
The plans that we have in place will continue as it is,
and we're confident in those plans.
I'm sure I'm going to thank you,
but I'm just going to make an out-mass
with a problem about are there any new threats
to the R&C or the R&C to the Rochester
to have common people who have had problems with this?
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, I'm Michael Henssel,
and I'm a special agent in charge of the FBI
for the state of Wisconsin.
For your first question,
the men and women of the FBI in the state of Wisconsin
who have worked in our six offices,
along with the assistance of our 56 field offices
across the United States,
and our domestic and international federal partners,
have worked over the last 18 months
to take information and intelligence
and evaluate that information,
and then disseminate it to both our state
and local partners to address any threats.
Currently, there are no known articulated threats
against the R&C or any other visiting the R&C.
That's important because we also need the help of the public.
If they see something during this time
or feel uncomfortable with something,
please let us know, let your local law enforcement agencies
know, or the FBI, I want to hear a call to the FBI.
Can I just follow up, I'm sorry.
During the graduation, the other question.
I just want to bring her back to the future.
Is it a problem?
Can I ask a question?
Great.
Thank you.
Hi.
Before we make you see the term,
just to be clear.
Do you or do you not make changes
to the security plan based on the events of the FBI?
There have been no changes to our current
operational security plans for this event.
Why not?
Given the effect on the president
of the assassination board.
So again, this event is designated
as a national special security event,
so it is an 18 month process that involves
all levels of government
that are contributing to the operational security plans
for this event.
So we have an operational security plan
that's built out for every area of responsibility
related to any and all aspects of security related to this event.
I can just reiterate what I said before,
in terms of what the city of Milwaukee has done.
Our council, in conjunction with me,
has to assign a local ordinance to make sure
that there's more protection in the outer perimeter
as it relates to officers from across the state of Wisconsin
or elsewhere coming in to assist with public safety
around this item deferred to achievement.
No change.
So the ordinance that I'm referring to,
that we have passed proactively at the local level,
which is by the way, the same ordinance,
the same kind of ordinance that we pass in preparation
for the Democratic National Convention
when it was to take place in Milwaukee in 2024,
becoming mostly virtual events,
is ordinance that does not allow individuals
to bring in to the outer perimeter hardens like cans,
like bottles that are filled.
Other hard objects that can be used
as projectile weapons and things like that.
Okay.
I'll talk about something outside of here,
but you said that there was no threats
at the moment, no concerns,
but I would imagine that is what secret service
and bottles have gone into there as well.
Are there changes to people to think
or what do you think the threat actors are
and are there any worries and competencies?
I suppose there's no specific or articulated threat
to the RNC or any specific individual attending.
As you'd expect, after the Manchester area,
we feel an uptick in social media chatter,
people talking about what happened,
and we as the lead for all intelligence managers
related to the RNC, the FBI,
we evaluate all of that to make sure
that it turns into criminal activity
or threat-based information.
We evaluate that and, again,
disseminate out to our federal and state partners for action.
Can I just follow up?
Okay.
We'll have a lot more exercise for you.
We'll talk to you right there in the back.
And either say a prayer with talks and we'll talk to you
to know if you've heard from delegates
or heard from visitors about a level of fear
following what happened yesterday.
Beyond the fact that you guys have planned for this
for 18 months, what's your message to them
about safety and security?
So, I'll take that on.
As we talk about these particular type of plans,
especially in regards to what we've seen
across the nation and what we're doing here,
I don't know if we're comparing events in the same manner.
What we've seen in regards to the past are, again,
rallies or town halls.
They don't receive the same level of support.
This event receives.
And that's maybe hard to kind of wrap around in regards
to the type of resources being invested
in this particular community.
Again, we cannot talk about the operations of it,
but as a leader in this community, I've seen the work.
We work together, again, not only from the standpoint
of the federal level, but, again, my local partners
and seeing that type of investment in regards
to what is being done.
We are planning, as much as we can plan in regards
of what we know and we're looking for what we don't know,
but we are planned and actually ready with the resources.
This is our community, too.
And looking at it from the standpoint of,
I want to make sure that they understand we see you,
we understand this is something of a concern,
and we are ensuring that we are going to put the proper effort,
the proper type of communication, which is why,
in this particular forum, is why we're having it,
to ensure that there is a communication
from this collective group.
We're working as hard as we can.
We're on a clock putting the effort that's necessary,
not only for this RNC, but for our city.
As the chief executive of our police department here
is important that we are also understanding the concern
in our city.
So this is for those who are retaining the RNC,
but we are taking care of this city, period.
Will you be doing daily updates or how will you get...
Have you been able to talk with Director Chittle?
Have you talked with Director Chittle?
Why isn't she here?
Have you talked with Director Chittle? Why not?
Will it be daily updates? How will you get information
during the event?
Thank you very much.
Thank you.