How do local cops get assigned to work these events?

[Stinky The Clown]

Is it volunteers? Are they assigned? Are they just on shift and sent there, with off duty cops called in to cover the regular beats?

How does it work?

I ask because what would frighten me is if they volunteer to be there, paid to see the guy they admire. Sure, it could be purely for the money, but I gotta think a lot of them want to be there.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

1. Overtime shifts

Sometimes the venue hires them and charges the renter. A request is submitted to the particular PD and seniority usually rules.

Make no mistake, they are making good money to be there.

[Hekate]

2. That sounds about right. Additionally, there are crowd control and safety issues...

...that the local PD takes an interest in.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

6. I think large venues are required to pay police for security.

X amount of officers depending on crowd size.

[JohnnyLib2]

3. Same thing in our area. Much overtime, sometimes not so voluntarily.

In that way, Trump is probably really draining local budgets.

[Recursion]

5. It may vary by department but I never heard of DC having trouble filling OT shifts

Time and a half does that...

[backscatter712]

7. To be fair, the venue and the campaign get charged.

They hire the local police to provide security. The PD doesn't do these sorts of events for free.

[JohnnyLib2]

8. Sure, but traffic control is affected in a wide area etc.

(I do live in smaller city, where things may be different.)

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

10. Normally the venue or the renter would have to pay

Details don't get paid out of a public fund unless they are road or utility work. Private events have to foot the bill if a public safety issue is determined to exist.

[Recursion]

4. If it's like Boston and DC they're OT shifts paid for by the venue

(and so generally ultimately paid for by the venue renter.) The particular police union rules lay out how they are assigned; again if it's like every city I've lived in first refusal goes by seniority.

MA has an amazing racket that requires any flagging for road construction be done by sworn officers, meaning construction projects have to pay for at least two cops (often more) any time they are into the right of way whatsoever. Every time MA tries to change that the police union raises hell.

[nilesobek]

9. A lot of undercover cops too.

Female and male officers blending into the crowd. I'm speculating very heavy FBI presence as they are probably ramping up surveillance of BLM on and off site.

Shades of '68 and '72, with Trump channeling Nixon and the '68 Democratic Convention. This is a crazy election.