Local police heading to DC for presidential inauguration

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Just some of the officers heading to DC for the inauguration.

By Michelle Paynter - bio | email

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Some of Savannah and Chatham County's finest officers were selected to help out with security for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration in Washington DC next month.

Approximately 100 officers from the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department are going and 27 deputies with the Chatham County Sheriff's Office.

"The fact that you're there for this particular event is just huge and everyone's excited about it," said sheriff's deputy Ron Robinson.

SCMPD lieutenant Kenneth Patton said, "Actually I gave up some AFC championship tickets to go to this event, that's how honored I was."

The sheriff and the police chief said this trip will not effect the safety of citizens here at home.

"At any given time you probably have 100 officers that are off duty on the department any way," Patton said. "Probably more than that are off duty."

The officers will travel by bus and stay in hotel rooms outside Washington DC, but this trip isn't going to cost local tax payers a dime. The federal government is picking up the tab. In all, about 4,000 police officers from 90 law enforcement agencies will be at our nation's capitol.

One reason Savannah and Chatham County was selected is their experience with the G-8 Summit. "For that, we kind of planned to deal with unruly crowds, this will probably be celebratory crowds," said Patton.

The officers don't know yet exactly what they'll be doing, likely standing in the cold, out of view of the inauguration itself.

"This is going to be work," Robinson said. "We're not just going to be sight seeing."

Patton added, "But to be a part of it and say I was on the security detail for the inauguration is something I can live with forever and tell my kids and grand kids."

They will be a part of history.

SCMPD is also sending officers from the intelligence gathering unit to Washington DC to work inside the command center for the inauguration.