WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today met with Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson to discuss Cleveland’s security needs ahead of the 2016 Republican National Convention. Brown helped facilitate meetings with key members of Congressional leadership, where they discussed the need for the federal government to appropriate security funding for the conventions, as it has in the past, to help hosting states and cities afford overtime pay for local law enforcement that will be required to staff the events.

“Holding the Republican National Convention in Cleveland is a great honor for our state and a testament to the city and its residents,” said Brown. “To ensure the safety of residents and attendees, we must make sure the City of Cleveland is prepared to meet the security needs of the convention. I share Mayor Jackson’s commitment to keeping Cleveland safe during the convention, and will continue looking for options to make sure our law enforcement and local officials receive the support they need.”

“I want to thank Senator Brown for his leadership in assisting the City of Cleveland in our efforts to secure the NSSE for the 2016 Republican National Convention,” said Jackson. “Cleveland is ready to put on the best Convention ever and ensuring the security of this event is vital. With upwards of 50,000 visitors to our city, the security grant becomes the linchpin to our success. The leadership of Senator Brown and our entire delegation in securing this grant is invaluable.”

In June, Brown and  U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) urged the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies to include $100 million in funding for security costs associated with the 2015 Democratic and Republican National Conventions being hosted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio.

National Conventions are considered “National Special Security Events,” for which security is coordinated by the U.S. Secret Service. However, the Secret Service has no authority to provide supplemental funding to state and local law enforcement for security operations – which is why Congress must appropriate the funding as they have done for every convention since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The $100 million – which is similar to amounts provided for past conventions – would be appropriated under the Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program and would be divided equally between the two cities. This would ensure that state and local law enforcement have the manpower and equipment needed to keep the conventions safe.

The full text of the letter is available here.

 

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