The road to the Republican National Convention will include a heavy security force. Thousands of police officers will converge in St. Paul from all over the state of Minnesota.
Security for the RNC is such a big job, that the St. Paul Police Department has enlisted officers from as close as Ramsey County to as far away as Duluth.
"I want to be able to help out my brother and sister officer," said Sgt. Chad Hagen from the Lakeville Police Department.
But from Sept.1 through the 4, he'll be assigned to convention duty in St. Paul.
"I think we'll be doing more behind the scenes security," said Hagen, "Maybe hotels, some transit routes, and things like that."
Hagen is one of more than 3,000 officers representing jurisdictions from across state.
RNC organizers expect security alone to cost about $50 million. It will be paid for by a federal grant.
Lakeville Police Chief Tom Vonhof said 18 of his more than 50 officers volunteered to work extra hours outside of their full-time job. Vonhof said they will be careful not to effect staffing back at home.
"As police chief my number one priority for the citizens of Lakeville is making sure our streets are taken care of first," said Vonhof.
For officers it's a chance to make some extra money and be a part of history.
"I think for me it's seeing how the big picture works. I mean when you got this many agencies and this many officers coming together at one time, it's great experience in networking," said Hagen.
The number of officers participating from each department will vary. More than 500 officers are expected from Minneapolis, while the small town of Aitkin is expected to send two officers.
Officers from around the state enlisted for RNC security |