What does a presidential security detail look like?
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Dr. Joel Schultz, a former police executive who worked on several presidential security details including President George W. Bush and Al Gore, explained what goes into a security detail.
In 2020, thousands waited outside the Broadmoor World Arena in the cold February weather to hear then-President Trump speak at a rally. That event concluded without incident. Saturday evening in Butler, Pennsylvania ended with an attendee dead, others injured and former President Trump grazed by a bullet.
"With all of the technology, all the surveillance, all the manpower, all the preparation, and all of the intelligence, it's a 98% proposition, but it's not 100%," Dr. Schultz said. "I think the real thing that we have to consider is how many of these things have been prevented and proactively interrupted."
Dr. Schultz said the amount of preparation that goes into a security detail for a presidential event is immense. Security will look into threatening letters, social media posts, and anything else that could pose a threat to the event or the person they are protecting.
At an event, Dr. Schultz said there are many uniformed and undercover officers. Dr. Schultz added security members are often added from other federal agencies such as Homeland Security, Capitol Police, and even Fish and Wildlife.
Dr. Schultz hesitated to call Saturday's assassination attempt a complete failure because former President Trump is still alive and safe. He said some things are beyond human control. He added that security is a function of concentric circles, meaning some areas a mile or more away from the event are less staffed, potentially leaving an opening for a sniper a great distance away.
