DNC security plans in the works for Milwaukee County courts

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As Milwaukee prepares to welcome an estimated 50,000 people to the Democratic National Convention in July, staff employees at the Milwaukee County courts are devoting their time on the people who do business in the city every day.

The courts’ Security and Facilities Committee is working with several local, state and national organizations to keep the courts open during the convention, which will last from July 13 to 16.
City officials announced the extent of a planned DNC security zone in January. Once set up, it will encompass much of the west side of downtown Milwaukee (see map). Fiserv Forum will serve as the main convention venue — putting tens of thousands of people and tight security in close proximity to the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Mark Sanders and other members of the Security and Facilities Committee have been talking to the FBI, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Marshals to form a plan to keep the courts operational and the DNC safe.

“There will be some challenges by the presence of the convention, but we’re working on a plan and will have a plan ready for the first quarter,” Sanders said.

Sanders and Judge Maxine White, who had been on the committee before her appointment to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, stressed the importance of making the plan efficient for lawyers and other people who need to conduct business at the courthouse.

Officials haven’t said how much of the downtown will be behind barriers or fences. Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales insists every resident and business in the zone will have access to their properties. The biggest inconvenience will in travel times, according to city officials.

The DNC will have an estimated economic effect of $200 million on greater Milwaukee, said Hannah Mills, a member of the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee. She said the area will play host to approximately 2,000 events leading up to and during the convention.