Local law enforcement agencies send officers to assist with RNC security in Milwaukee

GREEN BAY - Law enforcement agencies nationwide have sent groups of police officers to assist with security measures at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, including several from local agencies.

Thirty officers from the Green Bay Police Department's approximately 180-person force were sent to Milwaukee this week. Each have specialized training and will use those skills to help secure the city during the RNC, according to Chris Davis, Green Bay police chief.

Most of the officers that were sent to Milwaukee are part of Green Bay's mobile response team. Five officers are part of Green Bay's marine unit, and four are motorcycle patrol officers. The motorcycle patrol officers are likely helping with police escorts while the marine unit is likely on boats, Davis said.

In the days after the attempt to assassinate former president Donald Trump, the Milwaukee Police Department has not requested that any additional officers be sent down to the city. However, the Green Bay Police Department would try to do whatever they could if additional help was requested, Davis said.

Eleven officers from the Brown County Sheriff's Office Mobile Field Force team were sent to Milwaukee for the RNC. Eight of those officers are from Brown County, 3 were from Ashwaubenon and two bomb techs were sent from both Brown and Outagamie counties. No additional officers were requested following the assassination attempt, said Lt. Kevin E. Pawlak of the Brown County Sheriff's Office.

The 11 officers from the Brown County Sheriff's Office were teamed up with 10 officers from Oshkosh's Mobile Field Force to create a team of 21 officers in charge of foot patrol and deescalating potentially dangerous situations, should they occur, Pawlak said.

About 4,000 la w enforcement officers from outside Milwaukee are helping out this week at the RNC, including 64 out-of-state agencies.

Concerns with out-of-state police presence at RNC

On Tuesday, five Columbus, Ohio, police officers, in Milwaukee to aid in security measures for the RNC, fatally shot a man in the neighborhood around King Park. Body camera video footage released by authorities showed the man, identified by a cousin as Samuel Sharpe Jr., was holding a knife in each hand. The Milwaukee police chief, Jeffrey Norman, said the officers ordered him to drop the knives and he suddenly charged another person and police shot him.

The shooting was nearly a mile away from the RNC security perimeter, which has been strengthened in light of the attempt to assassinate Trump. Some residents in the area, raised questions about the choice to bring in out-of-state officers for the RNC, as they are unfamiliar with the area and the strategies used in Milwaukee.

Shelly Sarasin of Street Angels, an outreach group for unhoused people in the area, was unsure why Columbus police were in the area, she told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"Our Milwaukee police officers know about this camp and know about the people staying there and understand the issues that go along with experiencing homelessness," Sarasin told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He didn’t have to be shot… by an officer who wasn’t from here."

The police chief defended the shooting. "Someone's life was in danger," Norman said. "These officers who are not from this area took upon themselves to act to save someone's life today."

Will Green Bay bring in out-of-area officers to help with NFL draft in 2025?

Public safety planning for the 2025 NFL draft fast is already underway, as Green Bay will see an increased need for police presence. The draft is predicted to attract around 240,000 during the three days in April 24-26. Green Bay's population is about 107,000.

When it was announced that Green Bay will be hosting an NFL draft, Davis told the Press-Gazette that he'll likely need more officers to lend security support , and possibly another patrol boat, but he doesn't yet know which city's police chief he'll need to ask for the extra support.

In preparation for the draft, the Milwaukee Police Department is assisting the Green Bay Police Department by providing specialized training, like bike training, for their officers, Davis said.

Additionally, the Green Bay Police Department has established a mobile response team ahead of elections and the draft, that's able to deploy on mountain bikes, according to Davis.

Local law enforcement officials visited Detroit, host of this year's draft, in April for insight on crowd control. Detroit police reported 18 arrests in and near the official NFL draft zone. Kansas City officials reported no major problems with the 2023 NFL draft. The city had more than 20 public safety agencies helping out during the draft.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

Alyssa N. Salcedo is a reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. She can be reached at asalcedo@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Local law enforcement agencies send officers to assist with RNC security in Milwaukee