The University of Arizona Police Department received a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Secret Service last Tuesday for its assistance in President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama’s visit to the UA campus on Jan. 12.
UAPD Chief Anthony Daykin accepted the award from U.S. Secret Service Resident Agent Cristina Beloud on behalf of the men and women of the department.
“”We received a lot of positive feedback at the time about how well everyone was performing,”” Daykin said. “”When I found out the Secret Service said they wanted to present us with this certificate of appreciation, I was pretty thrilled.””
The certificate addresses the contributions made by UAPD during the memorial event “”Together We Thrive: Tucson and America”” at McKale Center, in which the president addressed citizens in response to the Tucson shooting. One of the main tasks UAPD had during the event was to make sure the president was escorted to and from McKale Center safely and efficiently.
“”This was a flawless event,”” Daykin said. “”It was flawless from the perspective of security, but we were able to make it flawless because of the support from the university.””
The award was one of three certificates the Secret Service awarded for the event, the other two went to the Tucson Police and Fire departments. In order to be eligible for the award, recipients were recommended by both Beloud and a special agent in Phoenix.
“”We wanted to make sure we acknowledged their efforts,”” Beloud said. “”Oftentimes first responders don’t get the credit they deserve when they go above and beyond the call.””
The event itself was constructed in less than 30 hours after President Obama accepted an invitation to visit the university.
Daykin went on to say that the reason he feels UAPD was able to be successful was due in part to the collaborative efforts made by the Arizona community and the UA’s contingency plans for these types of emergencies.
The Campus Emergency Response Team is constructed from various UA departments ranging from UAPD to Campus Heath Service that accomplish a wide array of goals from security detail to event logistics. The purpose of this committee is to provide a variety of knowledge on how to address an emergency situation. In the case of the president’s visit, it was to ensure the safety of the administration and public officials attending the event, as well as provide seating for the public who filled up McKale Center and part of Arizona Stadium.
“”Because it was such a unique event, everyone did what they could to help out,”” said Carol Thompson, dean of students and a response team committee member.
During the event Thompson helped to seat government officials as well as coordinate with White House employees.
“”I think the institution, and all of the people in every aspect of pulling the event together in the time frame we had, did an outstanding job,”” Thompson said.
For the time being, the certificate, which is a sliver plaque, remains in Daykin’s office, but it may be displayed in the UAPD main office in the near future.
