The Norman Police Department is working with the U.S. Secret Service and the OU Police Department in anticipation of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's visit to Norman Sept. 17.
All security precautions will be handled by the Secret Service, but it asked Norman police to assist, said Sarah Jensen, Norman Police Department public safety information officer.
“We will be providing additional resources," she said. "The Secret Service will be managing all of the security detail. However, they have requested some of our assistance."
According to the Trump campaign website, Trump will be at an event in Houston at 1 p.m. and another in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at 7:30 p.m. The OU vs. Ohio State football game kicks off at 6:30 p.m.
Jensen said the police had already anticipated a large crowd due to the Ohio State game. She said that although the department expects some additional traffic, it does not think Trump's appearance will have a significant impact.
“We don’t really expect most people to notice anything too out of the ordinary when it comes to game day,” Jensen said. “All of the game day traffic routes will be open. There won’t be any road closures of game day routes due to the Trump visit, and all of the parking areas will be open.”
Jensen said the police typically bring in approximately 40 off-duty officers to help with game day activities and traffic. However, there will be extra officers called in to help with various roles on Saturday.
“I think our biggest message is that we hope that people really plan ahead,” Jensen said. She also said the police advise fans to thoroughly think about their routes and to get to campus as early as possible.
Trump is visiting Norman for a fundraiser event hosted by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm. The exact location of the event is not yet known.
For OU vs. Ohio State weekend, we’re devoting our whole staff to coverage of the game and the events surrounding it. For all you need to know: oudaily.com/ohiostate.
Correction: This article was corrected at 6:55 p.m. Sept. 14 to reflect that Gov. Mary Fallin and Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm are hosting Trump's fundraiser. The earlier version reported they were invited to the event.
