This Ripper not feared
PENN TWP — It was Halloween. Jack D. Ripper was out.
But there was nothing to be scared of. This Ripper was keeping the peace as a Penn Township police officer pulling duty Saturday during President Donald Trump's rally at the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport.
Ripper's day began with a briefing at the airport with members of the White House staff and U.S. Secret Service agents. Penn Township Sgt. Cheryl Cranmer also was present.
His role as well as that of his fellow local officers from Penn and Middlesex Township police, and a large contingent of troopers and Butler County Sheriff's deputies, was to support the efforts of the Secret Service.
“We're stopping all vehicles coming in and making verifications that they're allowed in,” said Ripper, from his post at the West Airport and Three Degree roads — the intersection closest to the airport entrance.
That intersection was essentially the final checkpoint before access to the venue.All of West Airport Road and two sections of Three Degree Road near the airport were closed to general traffic from 8 a.m. until Trump's departure a little before 8 p.m.The only vehicles allowed in were those with press parking and other authorizations, residents who lived on the road and buses shuttling rally attendees from remote parking sites.Ripper's long day began at 5 a.m. Stationed with him at the intersection was Middlesex Township police Sgt. Randy Davison, a trooper and a Secret Service agent.The agent as well as his colleagues — some dressed in black tactical-style gear, some in plainclothes — declined comment. They referred inquiries to the Pittsburgh field office, which did not return a telephone call.An email to the agency's office in Washington, D.C., also was not returned.“You got to make sure you let the right people in and keep the wrong people out,” Davison said.The White House event staff provided the officers with a list of credentialed media members and other approved government and communications officials and civilians.Vehicles were stopped and individuals, once verified with a check of driver's license or other identification, were allowed into the airport.At times, a radio check with White House staff inside the venue, was needed.“It's just another day at work,” Davison said, “doing what we do.”He likened it to working traffic control for the annual Penn Township Volunteer Fire Department car show at the airport.“Except this is just a little bigger,” Davison conceded.At the other intersections along the road, troopers were stationed in cruisers.“We're providing security on Airport Road, the road that leads into the rally,” Trooper Shawn King said about 11 a.m. of his assignment. “It's been pretty quiet.”The instructions from the Butler-based Troop D command staff were not complicated.“We were told just to be vigilant,” King said, a trooper for 26 years. “Basically, if we see anything (unusual), to check it out and report anything to our command post.”King, of Lawrence County, and other troopers on the security and traffic control details Saturday were asked if they wanted to work the rally. Most were happy to take the assignment.
“I said, 'Absolutely,'” said four-year Trooper Jason Tanner of New Castle, an unabashed Trump supporter.“He's for us,” Tanner said of the president. “I think he's done a lot for the country. He supplied a bunch of jobs for everybody. When he first got elected, I thought that this is what the country needed. He's brought a lot of positivity back to the country.”Like most of his fellow police brothers stationed at the different intersection on West Airport Road, Trooper Ron Fagley of Mercer County, began his shift at 8 a.m. They didn't know when their day would end.“We'll leave when we're told,” said Fagley, a 15-year trooper.Trooper Robert Cox of New Castle was happy to be on the job. He's been a trooper for 22 years. He knew the day would be unlike all the others, and that's why he volunteered to work it.“It's a new experience,” he said. “I figured I won't get the opportunity to do one of these again. It's pretty cool. I'm excited about it.”Fagley, too, found his assignment a nice change.“How often do you see your president?” he said. “I probably won't see him but I may see his helicopter. I don't know. For me, it's probably once in a lifetime.”The Secret Service was responsible for physically screening attendees with magnetometers on the airport grounds, before being admitted inside for the rally.The grounds were teeming with agents. Sheriff's deputies were also there.Sheriff Mike Slupe participated in a brief Friday night walk-through of the airport led by the Secret Service. The exercise was designed for all law enforcement agencies working the rally to visualize what to expect Saturday.The security level was unprecedented, Slupe said“Butler County has had large, mass gatherings before,” he said, “but this here with the federal, state, county, local law enforcement agencies, you don't see that very often.”Capt. Brian Karenbauer of the Butler County Sheriff's Office said his role and that of the other deputies was to observe and protect.He admitted he was excited and honored to be there.“I've been 28 years in the sheriff's office,” he said, “and this is the first time I've ever been assigned to help protect the president.”All of the officers and deputies praised the cooperation among the different agencies throughout the day.Proof of that came during the afternoon as cold temperatures lingered, much to the displeasure of the Secret Service agent paired with Ripper.“He's from Alabama and his hands were freezing,“ Ripper said. “He's not used to the cold weather. So I went and got him a couple of hand warmers I had at the station.”
