Isaac could shake up security for GOP convention in Tampa

Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla.

Tropical Storm Isaac could force a shake-up of the security plans for the GOP convention in Tampa, because about half of the expected officers come from other parts of Florida, and some could be forced to stay home for the storm, authorities said Thursday.

But Gov. Rick Scott said the Florida National Guard is ready to step in if needed to fill the gap.

More than 3,500 officers from 59 law-enforcement agencies from around the state are scheduled to come to Tampa to patrol the streets as the convention opens Monday. About half would come from outside Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa.

About 1,700 National Guard troops already were expected to help with patrols.

“We have a process where we can call up more National Guard as quickly as we need them,” Scott said. “If we know now that some individuals are not going to show up, we have plenty of time to add more National Guard, but at this time, we don’t see that we’re going to have a problem.”

The storm is forecast to start affecting South Florida on Monday and could reach the Tampa area by Tuesday.

Isaac churned toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, threatening to strengthen into a hurricane.

The storm dumped heavy rain across eastern and southern Puerto Rico and whipped up waves as high as 10 feet in the Caribbean as it moved through the region.

U.S. forecasters said Isaac could become a Category 1 hurricane today as it approaches the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It was expected to weaken a little while crossing over Haiti and the eastern two-thirds of Cuba.

Isaac was centered 210 miles southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday evening, and its maximum sustained winds had strengthened a bit to 45 mph. It was moving west-northwest at 16 mph, according to the hurricane center.

“We’re in a situation right now where we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee said. “My primary concern right now is that we will lose resources.”

Gee said some agencies, especially in South Florida, might decide not to send officers to Tampa if the storm threatens their areas. “As things change, they might have to prioritize,” he said.

Scott, however, said additional guardsmen — instead of heading to Tampa — could go the other way and fill in back home for the visiting officers because the latter already are trained for convention duty.

The Republican governor also said he spoke on the telephone with presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to assure him Florida can handle the convention and the storm.

Scott noted that a recent National Hurricane Center update had moved the center line of the storm track from 85 miles west of Tampa to about 150 miles west of the area. Virtually the entire state, though, is included within the five-day forecast cone.

“Right now, it’s full speed ahead,” Scott said. “We’re looking forward to the delegates coming. We’re going to keep them safe. ... We’re a hospitality state that knows how to deal with hurricanes.”