On Thursday Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams issued a statement to assure the public that the City of Phoenix Police Department will “ensure” that the visit by President Trump for a rally on Tuesday, August 22 will be a safe event. “While Phoenix is not immune from critical incidents, I want you to know that your city is working hard to ensure another safe event,: stated Williams.
Williams says that because “high profile events are common in Phoenix, we are well prepared to handle another Presidential visit. Our experience with other dignitary visits, Super Bowls, music festivals, major professional and collegiate sporting events, allows us to quickly deploy resources that keep our residents and visitors safe.”
According to Williams, “the Phoenix Police Department has officers assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center to constantly monitor and evaluate activities that may impact our local communities. These long term partnerships with other local, state, and federal agencies, help ensure that information is shared and acted upon in a seamless manner.”
“While I won’t discuss specifics regarding our security planning, I want everyone to know that our preparations are well underway. We will have maximum staffing during the visit and are working 24/7 with our partners to ensure all of our resources are in place. We do expect a lot of activity in the downtown area but we are prepared to minimize the impact to area businesses and residents,” continued Williams. “As always, I expect our officers will remain professional, decisive, and immediately responsive should the need arise.”