(April 21, 2016) Given just more than 48 hours notice, Berlin police on Monday hastily began preparing for an unexpected visit from leading Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Trump was to hold a rally for supporters at Stephen Decatur High School Wednesday evening, after press time.
“We’ve been meeting ever since 10 o’clock to go ahead and get things together,” Berlin Police Chief Arnold Downing said during a public meeting in Town Hall, Monday night. “We’ve already reached out to our non law-enforcement partners at the Berlin Fire Department [and] the fire marshal’s office, and we’ve already spoken to our own public works and with state highway.”
Downing said the concern was that demand would be high for the event, which would be held at a “small” venue, Decatur High School.
“It’s going to be a process. We don’t know how … how many people actually will come for a few tickets,” he said. “We’re trying to prepare the best that we can.”
He said Secret Service, Maryland State Police, and Ocean City, Wicomico and Worcester county police also were involved in advance preparation for Trump’s visit.
“We have all the law enforcement components coming together. It’s been going really well [and] I think we came up with some good plans,” he said. “We’re hoping for the best.”
Decatur announced the visit on Twitter at 3:35 p.m. on Monday, posting, “It’s a historic moment in our school history – Presidential candidate Donald Trump will speak in our gym Wed. evening.”
Reaction on the school’s feed was decidedly mixed.
Twitter user @Jaymesdavidsonn tweeted, “God bless Donald J Trump,” and @kylekelly0 wrote, “that’s awesome I am going to come back home to MD all the way from NY to see you speak!”
Meanwhile, @ScottDevenny commented, “I thought our school was more progressive than this. Sad to see that our school has taken a turn for the worst,” and @Graceburt626 tweeted, “We’re welcoming a storm of injustice and bigotry to our school gym.”
Tickets were made available through Trump’s official election website, www.donaldjtrump.com, as of Tuesday morning.
Trump was to hold a rally for supporters at Stephen Decatur High School Wednesday evening, after press time.
“We’ve been meeting ever since 10 o’clock to go ahead and get things together,” Berlin Police Chief Arnold Downing said during a public meeting in Town Hall, Monday night. “We’ve already reached out to our non law-enforcement partners at the Berlin Fire Department [and] the fire marshal’s office, and we’ve already spoken to our own public works and with state highway.”
Downing said the concern was that demand would be high for the event, which would be held at a “small” venue, Decatur High School.
“It’s going to be a process. We don’t know how … how many people actually will come for a few tickets,” he said. “We’re trying to prepare the best that we can.”
He said Secret Service, Maryland State Police, and Ocean City, Wicomico and Worcester county police also were involved in advance preparation for Trump’s visit.
“We have all the law enforcement components coming together. It’s been going really well [and] I think we came up with some good plans,” he said. “We’re hoping for the best.”
Decatur announced the visit on Twitter at 3:35 p.m. on Monday, posting, “It’s a historic moment in our school history – Presidential candidate Donald Trump will speak in our gym Wed. evening.”
Reaction on the school’s feed was decidedly mixed.
Twitter user @Jaymesdavidsonn tweeted, “God bless Donald J Trump,” and @kylekelly0 wrote, “that’s awesome I am going to come back home to MD all the way from NY to see you speak!”
Meanwhile, @ScottDevenny commented, “I thought our school was more progressive than this. Sad to see that our school has taken a turn for the worst,” and @Graceburt626 tweeted, “We’re welcoming a storm of injustice and bigotry to our school gym.”
Tickets were made available through Trump’s official election website, www.donaldjtrump.com, as of Tuesday morning.