In an effort to ensure preparedness for any potential risks, the City of Milwaukee is seeking various insurance policies ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention. These insurance policies cover a range of scenarios, including special event law enforcement liability, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons, terrorism, and deadly weapons.
Andrea Fowler, an attorney at the city, emphasized that these insurance policies do not indicate any specific threat but rather reflect the standard precautions taken by cities hosting such high-profile events. Fowler stated, “It’s just designed to cover all types of risk, no matter how unlikely – completely unlikely – they are to occur.”
The city anticipates hosting the Republican presidential nominating convention from July 15th to July 18th, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. To ensure the safety and security of the event, the city plans to enlist as many as 4,500 police officers from outside Milwaukee, 1,500 more than initially anticipated for the Democratic National Convention before it transitioned to a virtual format due to the pandemic.
The insurance policies sought for the 2024 convention mirror those purchased for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. The liability insurance for the DNC cost approximately $7.7 million and was obtained to address potential terrorism and criminal activity risks associated with hosting a National Security Special Event.
While the exact cost of insurance for the upcoming convention remains uncertain, it is expected to be higher than in 2020 due to overall price increases. The city’s insurance contract will be funded by a security grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. Given the rise in prices, there is a push for the federal government to provide a larger security grant of $75 million to both the RNC in Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. However, the approval and allocation of this additional funding are currently uncertain.