The Springfield Police Division will ship 11 officers to Washington, D.C. to guard Donald Trump throughout the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration.
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime alternative,” mentioned Police Chief Ken Scarlette, who acquired the invitation whereas attending a law-enforcement convention in Minnesota final month.
“I made a contact with a few high-ranking people from the Metro Police Division of the District of Columbia and we simply struck up a dialog. One was telling me that he was in command of placing collectively the inauguration element and that they’d 3,800 law-enforcement officers coming from varied departments, He was trying to get just a few extra to come back help with the inauguration day,” Scarlette mentioned. “I assumed that might be a really distinctive alternative for a few of our officers to take part.”
Whereas town will likely be reimbursed for officer’s wages and journey expenditures, not everybody believes that is the very best use of metropolis assets.
“We now have sufficient issues with crime in Springfield that we have to be engaged on fixing – some homicide circumstances, some theft and a few housebreaking, some break-in circumstances,” mentioned Teresa Haley, a group activist and previous president of the Springfield department of the NAACP. “I feel there’s sufficient crime right here in Springfield for the officers to remain behind and to guard the residents that our tax {dollars} pay for.”
However Scarlette mentioned the division will likely be adequately staffed throughout the time the officers are within the nation’s capital.
“I guarantee the Springfield group that we’re not shedding any kind of patrol operate or manpower due to these people going,” he mentioned. “There have been a handful from what we name discipline operations. There are a handful which can be from the felony investigations division. They’re unfold out over varied watches. We now have a required minimal manning to satisfy. And we didn’t go beneath that to ship these people on the market.”
Scarlette mentioned the crew he’s sending to Washington consists of 10 officers and one lieutenant. He added will probably be a wonderful coaching alternative. He mentioned their function whereas on the particular task will likely be crowd management. For instance, they could line the inauguration parade route, holding again spectators. Later, they could present safety for varied balls and galas celebrating the election of Trump.
Visiting officers will undergo a day of coaching earlier than taking over these duties.
“(We) actually had a summer time of varied parades, protests, crowd management conditions. So, something which you could go expertise, be taught from and convey again (will make the officers) higher geared up, higher organized, higher ready,” Scarlette mentioned.
However Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams is skeptical.
“I do not assume it is a good suggestion to do that as a result of it is political, and we’re taking our manpower away,” he mentioned. “As we at all times say, ‘We’re short-staffed.'”
Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath, a retired police officer, mentioned he has confidence that Scarlette is making the correct determination.
“Let me let you know, he is among the best chiefs we ever have had,” he mentioned. “In fact, I have been on (metropolis council) 30 years. I’ve seen lots of them come and go. … I am extra acquainted with him than anyone else. I’ve lots of confidence in him, and if he seems like we’re succesful to do it, I feel it isn’t a foul thought.”
Sangamon County Democratic Get together chief Invoice Houlihan contends that for the reason that election is over, it’s correct to ship the officers.
“That is an acceptable use as a result of they’ll Washington to be sure that the president and everybody else is protected,” he mentioned. “I’d say that being requested by the Washington, D.C. police exhibits how good our native police division is. They need to be honored to have the ability to come on the market and work, whether or not it is crowd management or working someplace ensuring that everyone is getting within the place on the proper time.”
Houlihan added he doesn’t view an inauguration as a partisan occasion.
“The election’s over,” he mentioned. “(Trump) received the election honest and sq., and now he’ll get sworn in. That peaceable transformation of energy is what makes our democracy so nice.”
Scott Reeder, a employees author for Illinois Occasions, will be reached at: [email protected].
