| Media circus descends on St. George for Jeffs | |
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By Laura Duncan lduncan@thespectrum.com | |
ST. GEORGE - Washington County has become a stage for the national media as the Warren Jeffs legal battle begins. Satellite trucks from Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Arizona and Colorado, as well as national media outlets such as CNN and Fox News, set up camp Wednesday in the courthouse parking lot on 220 N. 200 East. Competitive crews established territories, and anchors gripped their microphones, hoping to learn more about what will happen now that Jeffs is facing justice. The frenzy posed a possible challenge for St. George police, but Sgt. Craig Harding of St. George Police Department said the department knew how to handle the situation. He said that despite the massive crowd, authorities were not expecting any trouble, but the department would be remiss if it did not take the proper precautions to ensure everyone's safety. "We have to plan for the worst-case scenario," Harding said. Lt. Jake Adams of the Washington County Sheriff's Office had similar sentiments, saying security was increased to a "heightened" level. Though he said he could not disclose specific numbers, Harding confirmed that a Special Weapons and Tactics team was present "in a number of areas." In some cases, the SWAT officers made their presence clear, peering over some rooftops and perched on nearby hillsides. Harding added that in addition to the more covert SWAT members, there were officers on the ground in full uniform with visible weapons. Harding said the officers did not have a particular profile in looking for anyone who could serve as a possible threat to those in the area. "We're going to focus on behavior, not people," he said. Anything suspicious or out of place, he said, would be grounds for questioning. He also said if any person's behavior did not seem to fit into the normalcy of a high-profile case, "we'll stop them and ask them what they're doing ... we're going to look at the situation, the events unfolding," Harding said. He applied these rules to suspicious vehicles in the area as well. Adams also said peculiar packages would be the subject of scrutiny. "We're going to scrutinize them a little better," he said. Adams said the same principle held true for the Washington County Sheriff's Office. "We are just being more vigilant," said Adams, "We are screening closely ... to access the jail portion (of the court), you're going to go through scrutiny." As for Wednesday's short, yet intense, court appearance, Harding said he felt the actions on behalf of the force were adequate and appropriate considering the circumstances. He said he expected the same amount of security to be present during Jeffs' subsequent appearances. Meanwhile, Adams said that the media thus far has been "voluntarily compliant ... to keep from impeding us from doing our job. We hope to accommodate them, too. It's been a good relationship. We understand that this is a big story." With regard to what these measures may cost in the end, Harding said it was difficult to estimate so soon into the proceedings. "It depends on the attorneys and what motions they make," he said. The St. George Police Department is committed to maintaining security for residents first and foremost, he said. In the same vein, Adams said cost is not going to be immediately examined during what may become a media circus. "Right now we're less focused on saving money and more focused on maintaining security. We'll deal with that when it comes to budget time," said Adams. | |
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TheSpectrum.com Originally published September 7, 2006 | |
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