Yet, the stakes for ensuring the President’s safety are even higher now, following a brush with death last July when an assassination attempt left him with an injury to his right ear. Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond of Police Scotland, speaking to Sky News, acknowledged that the prior attack on Mr. Trump’s life will influence security measures.
She remarked: “There’s a broad range of considerations, absolutely. I mean, it would be inappropriate for me to plan an operation and not bear in mind what has happened in other parts of the world.”
She added confidently: “But with that in mind, we’ve got a really experienced team of officers working as part of planning the operation. We’ve got really good command experience, and I’m confident that the operation that we will deliver is proportionate and what is required to meet the needs and to ensure that we keep the president safe.”
Local law enforcement will be on hand to ensure the president’s safety, but he also comes equipped with his own security measures from the US, including an armored vehicle known as “The Beast” for transportation.
Emma Bond has indicated that police are preparing for potential protests in Ayrshire, Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. The policing strategy calls for collaboration between local, national, and specialist officers from Police Scotland, as well as support from other forces.
“The key very much is to make sure the President of the United States can come, enjoy a peaceful and safe visit to Scotland and ensure Police Scotland is able to maintain delivery of services to the rest of the community within Scotland over the period of his visit,” stated Ms Bond.
Ms Bond emphasized that Police Scotland aims to take a “proportionate” stance to facilitate safe protesting, offering to coordinate with demonstrators beforehand to avoid any surprises. However, she mentioned that there is currently no “specific concern” regarding potential violence during the events.
First Minister John Swinney has acknowledged that discussions about funding the visit are still in progress, but assured that Scotland’s police resources would not be compromised. “Police Scotland will obviously have to deal with the circumstances that they face in relation to the policing operation,” he remarked.
“They are seeking mutual aid because the scale of the operation that is required requires additional resources that couldn’t ordinarily be justified in Scotland’s circumstances. But obviously, we’ll work with Police Scotland, with the Scottish Police Authority and with the United Kingdom Government on the costs.”
When questioned about whether the necessary funding would come from the existing police budget, the First Minister responded: “We’ll obviously work closely with Police Scotland on the funding of this policing operation and make sure that policing in Scotland is not in any way put in a detrimental position as a consequence of the visit of President Trump.”
