Law enforcement up for Bush’s visit Tuesday

Jace Radke

Monday, Nov. 24, 2003 | 11:06 a.m.

Even though President Bush will be in Las Vegas for only a few hours Tuesday, federal, state and local law enforcement have been working for weeks to guarantee his safety and make sure that the shutting down of roadways doesn't paralyze the valley.

"When the president is in town it's not a normal day for us," said Doug Coombs, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas office of the Secret Service. "Obviously this is as busy as we can get. We've put a lot of preparation and advance work in with local law enforcement, and we'll rely heavily on their support."

Coombs' agents are charged with charting routes through the area, checking security at the president's planned stops and reviewing every aspect of the visit constantly. Meanwhile the FBI will be in contact with the Secret Service, passing on any intelligence information that concerns the president's visit.

Bush is to arrive in Las Vegas around 9:30 a.m. and is expected to be back on Air Force One headed for Phoenix by 1 p.m.

Bush is scheduled to give a speech focusing on Medicare to a group of seniors at Spring Valley Hospital and attend a fund-raising lunch for his re-election campaign at The Venetian.

The Secret Service does not reveal number's of agents protecting the president, but, including Metro Police officers and Nevada Highway Patrol troopers, there are expected to be more than 100 officers and agents involved.

When Bush arrives at McCarran International Airport Tuesday morning, he will be whisked away along a prearranged path of cleared roadways in a motorcade that will include about 30 police motorcycles and Secret Service sport utility vehicles.

"We'll shut intersections down before the motorcade gets to them and then reopen them after it has gone by," said Assistant Sheriff Mike Zagorski, who oversees Metro's patrol division. "We're actually getting a little bit lucky because he's coming on Tuesday, so we won't have to worry about weekend crowds."

Metro will use patrol cars to block intersections on surface streets, while motorcycles zoom ahead of the motorcade looking for any problems. While traveling on Interstate 215, Interstate 15 or U.S. 95 both on and off-ramps will be shut down by NHP troopers.

"We're hoping to use about 25 to 30 troopers to close down the ramps," NHP Lt. Steve Harney said. "Since it's the president, we'll shut down both sides at once."

There will also be about four troopers in the motorcade, Harney said. Metro expects to use about 30 motorcycle officers in the motorcade and several more officers to block intersections and provide added security at the planned stops.

The added security comes at a price, pulling troopers from normal duty and forcing Metro to dip into its overtime budget.

"I think we'll be able to just use our day-shift troopers, but if something happens and we need more bodies we'll call in people," Harney said.

The majority of the Metro officers involved in the security detail will be working overtime, and department officials estimate it could cost more than Vice President Dick Cheney's July visit to Las Vegas, which cost $22,473 in overtime, department spokesman Officer Jose Montoya said.

Fewer officers were used for Cheney's visit, but the vice president stayed overnight in Las Vegas, requiring round-the-clock protection.

Cheney's visit, which raised $300,000 in campaign funds, resulted in protesters outside Spanish Trail Country Club, where the fund-raiser was held, and protesters are also expected for Bush's visit. Officers will be pulled from Metro's southeast area command if there are any issues with protesters, police officials said.

The Bush administration has shown strong support for storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Gov. Kenny Guinn will host the president and is on his re-election team for the state despite Bush's support of Yucca Mountain.

While in Las Vegas the Federal Aviation Administration will put a no-fly zone around the president.

"Generally a temporary flight restriction is placed around the president," FAA spokesman Don Walker said. "The restricted zone usually stretches 10 nautical miles and goes up 18,000 feet, and moves with the president.

"Military or government aircraft supporting the president and scheduled commercial flights can still fly through the zone," he said.

In addition the FAA usually puts a second zone of a 30-mile radius around the president in which all flight training, hang-gliding, balloons, crop dusting, parachuting and other flight activities are banned. General aviation airplanes can fly in and out of the zone, but they are not allowed to loiter and must file flight plans and have transponders so they can be tracked.

The visit will be Bush's first to Nevada as president, although he visited Lake Tahoe in June 2000 as a presidential candidate. President Clinton visited Las Vegas in April 2000 and raised $525,000 for the state and National Democratic Party.