How law enforcement agencies protect presidential candidates in Arizona

Arizona's status as a political battleground means the state is a frequent destination for presidents and candidates campaigning for the job, and the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday has raised questions about how local police entities are involved in protecting these high-profile visitors.

Local law enforcement agencies say they follow the lead of federal partners when presidential contenders visit.

"The U.S. Secret Service is the primary agency responsible for providing security for current and former presidents, vice presidents and presidential candidates, among others," said Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Rob Scherer. "Our department acts in support of the Secret Service and remains willing and able to provide the necessary assistance to keep everyone safe."

Scherer said Phoenix officers are trained to collaborate with local, state and federal agencies and keep communication lines open.

Phoenix was a stop for both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump during their most recent visits to Arizona, Biden in March and Trump in June .

Officer Aaron Bolin, a Scottsdale police spokesperson, said that when his department receives requests from federal partners like the Secret Service, FBI or U.S. Marshals to provide assistance with "additional staff or traffic management or security details" for visiting dignitaries, it tries to fulfill the requests without jeopardizing service for residents.

"Making sure there's no interruption of service to our residents as it would normally be," but then also making sure "that we help out with that as best we can," Bolin said.

A spokesperson for Tucson police said they operate under the direction of the Secret Service, and a spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety said they usually serve as an assisting agency for candidate visits.

Security consultant Stephen Enteman, who retired from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, where he oversaw the regulation of private security companies, said the agency was in a support role for President Barack Obama's commencement address at Arizona State University in 2009.

"We did not have anything to do with the president," Enteman said. "We did perimeter security on that."

Enteman said the assassination attempt on Trump likely would not lead to wholesale changes in security protocols, but it would generate more scrutiny.

"There will be a lot more checks and balances in place because, over time, complacency has a tendency to happen," Enteman said. "And when complacency happens, these types of incidents tend to pop up."

Shawn Kinsey ran the security detail for former Gov. Doug Ducey and coordinated with the Secret Service on several joint appearances in Arizona with Trump. He now owns a security firm specializing in high-profile executive protection .

"When the Secret Service comes in, they'll establish a security bubble, and then they'll have their security partners, whether it be local law enforcement or other federal agencies," Kinsey said. "So then you just work collaboratively, as a team, to keep things at that event safe and that security bubble safe."

Kinsey said the Secret Service is strict about which, if any, outside law enforcement officials can enter the president's security bubble. Those that do must go through extensive pre-screening, he said.

"They don't bend on that at all, and with good reason," Kinsey said.

Typically, he said, one Secret Service liaison communicates with local law enforcement.

Reach the reporters at jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com and elena.santacruz@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How law enforcement agencies protect presidential candidates in Arizona