SECURITY

Small-Town Cops Go Big Time

by Jessica Taylor

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008


St. Paul police officers are getting a little help this week from their friends -- other cops who have traveled from near and far to assist with the massive task of securing the convention. Add in federal officers, National Guard members, and state police, and an array of uniforms from the East Coast to the West is on display at the Xcel Energy Center.

Among the states that have sent officers to help are neighboring Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin; as well as Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Texas, according to Cmdr. Doug Holtz of the St. Paul Police Department. Another officer told Convention Daily that approximately 5,000 police officers from around the country have been deployed to assist the 600-strong St. Paul force.

Deputy Chief Robert Springer of the Winnebago County, Ill., Sheriff's Office said that his contingent learned that it would be deployed to the convention about a month ago. Minnesota requested the additional forces from Illinois under a joint-powers agreement that gives nonlocal officers authority in other jurisdictions and covers other legal issues.

"The benefit to the officers from Illinois is that we are able to participate in a national security event," Springer said. "They don't happen that often."

Although the Illinois cops did assist with security for Monday's anti-war march, Springer said that their "purpose here is not to necessarily be hands-on with the crowd." He said that they were trained in mobile field force and crowd control techniques, similar to the ways that the St. Paul police officers trained for the convention. He called it "a great learning and training experience that we can take back to Illinois" and draw upon if their state holds a comparable event.

So far, cops from out of state said that their deployment has been pleasant; many have been securing the convention perimeter and working indoor venues rather than engaging in violent clashes with angry protesters. "For the team, it's been the first national security event we've been deployed to, and it's been successful so far," said Sgt. George Mokriakow with the St. Clair, Ill., Sheriff's Department.

Still, if you're a lost delegate or reporter looking for directions, many of these cops may be as unfamiliar with the territory as you are. "They've given us a makeshift map," Mokriakow said. "We've tried to stumble through it."

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