Suburban police to aid RNC security in St. Paul

Hundreds of east-metro police officers and sheriff deputies will participate in bike patrols, crowd control, intelligence-gathering, rapid response teams and other law enforcement activities during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

The regional mobilization draws on the ranks of patrol, corrections, investigations and courts to assist St. Paul police with large crowds that will gather for the four-day convention that will include President Bush and presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain.

"It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Sgt. Greg Weiss of the Forest Lake Police Department. "I don't see it coming back again in my career."

About 3,500 officers from throughout the United States and even overseas will help, said Tom Walsh, a spokesman for the St. Paul Police Department, which, along with the FBI, is coordinating security. The federal government has provided $34 million to reimburse cities and counties for their officers' time, and $16 million for equipment ranging from cars to cameras, Walsh said.

Washington County is sending 30 deputies -- all volunteers -- to help the first two days of the convention, said Sheriff Bill Hutton. Dakota County will send 25, Anoka County, 14. And cities are stepping up, too. Woodbury is sending as many as 15 police officers, Burnsville will send 15, Eagan, 11, and Lakeville, 18.

"Let's face it, this is huge," said Anoka's chief deputy, Loni Payne. For some of the younger officers, the convention may be seen as a "career developer," Payne said.

Forest Lake, sending six of its 29 sworn officers, wants to repay St. Paul for its help over the years, Weiss said. "Every time we've asked St. Paul to come and assist us with their bomb squad or the Hugo [tornado] incident ... they're always more than willing to send people and resources," he said.

Some of Woodbury's officers will be on bike patrol and have been training with their St. Paul counterparts since late June, said Capt. Steve Wills. Most of the others will help with traffic control, he said.

For Dakota County officers, assignments range from intelligence-gathering to a mobile team equipped with gas masks.

"This is a regional event in terms of law enforcement security," said Dave Bellows, chief deputy of the Dakota County Sheriff's Office. "Dakota County butts up to the city of St. Paul, so we feel like we want to be a good and active partner during the RNC."

A judge's conference scheduled during the convention week freed many of the deputies assigned to courthouse security for duty in St. Paul, Bellows said. Plenty of Dakota County deputies are being held back, including some from a multi-agency SWAT team.

"We have a great responsibility in assisting with the details up at the RNC," Bellows said. "Plus we have to be prepared ... should anything happen within Dakota County that's RNC-related, that we have an adequate response."

His officers have been receiving training as part of the rapid-response team and have been issued protective gear, paid for through the federal grant, including gas masks, helmets, and chest, elbow and shin pads, McDonald said.

In Lakeville, Burnsville and other cities, police chiefs also have figured out how to cover home turf.

"We have 18 officers who have volunteered to work off-duty so it will not impact our service levels for on-duty staffing," Lakeville Police Chief Tom Vonhoff said Friday. Burnsville will pay some overtime as it fills shifts left empty by the officers deployed to St. Paul, but overtime and all other costs will be reimbursed, said Sgt. Dan Carlson.

In Anoka County, 14 deputies who will work at the convention have one basic responsibility: "Keep people not supposed to be there out," said Capt. Tom Wells. "We're just doing what we can to help the St. Paul police man a little corner of the city."