Cleveland, Ohio - Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson traveled to Cleveland with U.S. Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator Peter Neffenger, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Executive Associate Director Peter Edge to review the operational security and contingency planning in preparation for next week’s 2016 Republican National Convention.
As with other past presidential nominating conventions and events of this size, Secretary Johnson has designated the Republican and Democratic conventions as National Special Security Events (NSSE), which allows for enhanced cooperation of federal, state, and local partners in establishing a safe and secure environment.
While in Cleveland, Secretary Johnson inspected the Multi-Agency Coordinating Center (MACC), where he received an overview of security planning for next week’s convention. Staffed by representatives from participating law enforcement and public safety agencies, the MACC will serve as the central 24-hour communications and coordination hub throughout the event.
Secretary Johnson also visited the Republican National Convention Center Complex to review security preparations in and around Quicken Loans Arena. At each location, Secretary Johnson received detailed briefings from a multi-agency security team led by the Secret Service – with significant contributions from TSA and ICE HSI, among others – and met with Department employees participating in a variety of security operations.
To support these security operations, the Department is dedicating nearly 3,000 personnel from more than two dozen components and subcomponents, including the Secret Service, the TSA, ICE HSI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the National Protection and Programs Directorate, and the U.S. Coast Guard. These personnel will work closely with federal, state, and local partners, including the Cleveland Division of Police, to ensure the safety and security of next week’s convention.
As always, DHS reminds citizens to be vigilant at public events, and “If You See Something, Say Something™.” The message is simple: if you see something that doesn’t look right – an unattended bag or package, a person behaving in a suspicious manner, a vehicle that seems out of place – report it to the authorities.
Learn more about the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign, and see how you can help to keep our nation safe.
