Palm Beach County Sheriff Plans Major Security For Chinese President

WLRN Public Media | By Peter Haden

Published April 5, 2017 at 9:44 PM EDT

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says the security operation for President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is the largest he's ever taken on.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is prepared for a major security operation, with not one but two world leaders in town this weekend.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says it’s the biggest security operation he’s ever run. And he wants to be clear. Protesting? OK. Civil disobedience? No. 

“We are not going to tolerate any civil disobedience, throwing of objects or any other type of disorderly conduct whatsoever,” said Bradshaw.

The U.S. Secret Service unloads motorcade vehicles from a United States Air Force cargo plane at Palm Beach International Airport on April 5, 2017.

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrive Thursday afternoon.

PBSO will help secure Trump at Mar-a-Lago and President Xi at the Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa in Manalapan. Protesters are expected near President Xi’s hotel, but they’ll have to stay behind temporary security fences.

Roads will be closed intermittently for the two motorcades.

PBSO is operating with the same readiness asin a major hurricane: 12-hour shifts, vacations and time off cancelled. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office is providing back up.

Sheriff Bradshaw estimates the cost of the security could run around $140,000 a day.