GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Helping to secure the most powerful man in the world was not an easy task for the Grand Rapids Police Department.
"Last year we had President Trump come and that was quite an endeavor...it went well with very few problems and we knew when he came last year this was a good prep for us for what was about to come," says Sgt. John Wittkowski with GRPD.
What's coming is the 2020 Presidential election and the Michigan primary on Tuesday. Things will kick off Saturday morning as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who was in the running for the Democratic presidential candidate, will be making a stop for the Biden Campaign at Creston Brewery on Saturday.
"That will be dealt with more at the patrol level and that service area level," says Wittkowski.
But it will be a drastically different level of security on Sunday at Calder Plaza where Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) will be holding a rally.
"Certainly we'll have numerous officers there that will be covering the perimeter immediately around Calder Plaza and then the wider perimeter and the intersecting streets," says Wittkowski.
Things won't stop there as former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is scheduled to make a campaign stop in Grand Rapids on Monday. GRPD is also preparing for protesters.
"We just request that people behave and insure that we understand the importance of the first amendment and freedom of speech and that's why we have the ability to assemble in this capacity in this country," says Wittkowski.
Campaigns happening this weekend in Grand Rapids:
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