RNC: How long does it take to get through security?

(NEXSTAR) Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump just days before the start of the Republican National Convention, many are wondering how security measures will change for the high-profile event in Milwaukee.

The Republican National Convention was already scheduled to be an extremely high-security event before Saturday’s incident, but the Secret Service said it had stepped up security measures.

“We are confident in the security plans put in place by our Secret Service Republican National Committee coordinators and partners, and we have reviewed and enhanced our plans in light of Saturday’s shooting,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. In a statement Monday morning.

If you’ve been to the Republican National Convention in downtown Milwaukee, you’ve already encountered these security features.

If you’re not in Wisconsin for this big event, let us explain.

Within the RNC boundary there are two zones: the vehicle inspection boundary and the pedestrian restriction boundary, shown in yellow and red on the map below. These are also known as the “soft” and “hard” security zones.

People arriving by car on Monday morning to enter the “loose” security area were in for a rather unpleasant surprise: a delay of at least an hour.

The delay was a little shorter, only about 20 minutes, when reporters arrived early at 2 a.m. For those who arrived in downtown Milwaukee after 8 a.m., the delay was almost three hours.

This delay was caused by a vehicle security checkpoint, indicated by a black dot on the map above.

At these checkpoints, police and police dogs search drivers, who are asked to park their cars, turn off the engine, open the hood and trunk and roll down the windows – a process that can take several minutes.

Once inside the soft security zone, visitors will have to pass through a pedestrian security zone to enter the actual RNC event space.

These security checkpoints are almost identical to TSA checkpoints at airports (some checkpoints even have TSA agents present), except that visitors must keep their shoes on. Visitors are asked to empty their pockets, go through a metal detector, and submit their bags to an X-ray machine.

Once through these checkpoints, visitors are given access within the permitted range on a lanyard.

For example, media personnel were given yellow lanyards that allowed them access to media spaces in the Baird Center, Panther Arena Media Row and parts of Fiserv Forum, while those with red representative lanyards were able to be inside Fiserv when J.D. Vance was announced as President Trump’s running mate.

All visitors wearing the lanyard will be granted admission to the Baird Center’s main floor, the area surrounding Fiserv, and Convention Fest, where a variety of Wisconsin specialties such as frozen custard and cheese curds can be enjoyed.

There are various areas within the event space that visitors cannot access, mainly between and along certain buildings.

The tight security situation made it difficult to even get outside: With sidewalks blocked off and some roads closed, it took 30 to 45 minutes to leave the Republican National Convention grounds, according to reporters.

The situation is expected to continue throughout the Republican National Convention, which will conclude after President Trump’s long-awaited acceptance speech on Thursday night.

In addition to federal attendees, thousands of police officers from around the country are attending the Republican National Convention, including: North Carolina, Californiaand Florida.