‘Gonna be insanity’: Inside how Milwaukee Police will secure the Republican convention

As eight Republican presidential candidates descended upon Milwaukee last summer for a Fox News debate, the last thing on any politician’s mind were seemingly silly photos of Iowa women Heather Ryan and Kara Ryan. In early July, the Milwaukee Police Department acknowledged Raw Story’s questions about security protocol and costs for both GOP debate and Republican National Convention. ‘Great test run’: Initiating debate and convention planning Despite police officials’ silence, more than a thousand pages of documents from the Milwaukee Police Department and City of Milwaukee obtained by Raw Story through the Wisconsin Open Records Law showcase the extensive planning and security efforts undertaken to host the Republican debate — an acknowledged dry run for the Republican National Convention, which would entail preparations starting more than a year in advance. “This is in line with what I had in mind for the RNC that would add value and resiliency to operations for the dept.” ‘Response to potential violence’ At least 1,449 police officers from across the country committed to attend the Republican National Committee as of Aug. 11, 2023, according to an update sent by Matthew Palmer, lieutenant with the Milwaukee Police Department’s Republican National Convention Planning Unit. Bradley W. Schlei, District Four captain for the Milwaukee Police Department, made the case in an email to Jeffrey Lintonen, lieutenant for the Milwaukee Police Department’s Major Incident Response Team, Republican National Committee Planning Unit, that supplying extra officers to the work the debate would put his district in a “bind.” “I have three hospital guards that are going to be at least another week that I have to fill 24 hours a day.