Charlotte police chief one of seven executives to visit the White House

CHARLOTTE — The U.S. Secret Service hosted seven police executives at the White House as part of National Police Week on Saturday.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings was among those selected to attend.

Jennings, along with representatives from the Atlanta Police Department, the Chicago Police Department, the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Milwaukee Police Department, Philadelphia Police Department, and the Phoneix Police Department, were treated to a guided tour of the mansion.

The group was greeted by U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and the tour was led by Chief Alfonso Dyson and Assistant Chief Richard Macauley of the Uniformed Division.

Several demonstrations from the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division were also held. Those demonstrations included a showcase of the U.S. Secret Service canine unit’s explosive detection and personnel screening capabilities, a presentation from the Hazardous Agent Mitigation Medical Emergency Response, or HAMMER, Team, a meet and greet with the counter sniper and specialized rifle units, a tour of the Crime Scene Search Unit vehicle; a discussion with the Emergency Response Team, and a briefing from the Mission Assurance Mobile Field Force.

“The Secret Service values the strong relationships we have with our local law enforcement partners,” Cheatle said. “We work hand in hand with local law enforcement to protect our nation’s leaders and investigate cases of financial fraud. Inviting our partners to the White House gives them a glimpse of our mission and capabilities, and we believe it will encourage further collaboration.”

The U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division is comprised of roughly 1,600 officers. These officers safeguard the White House, the Vice President’s residence at the Naval Observatory and Embassy Row in Washington, D.C. They also travel around the world to work with the Secret Services’ more than 3,600 special agents to secure facilities and venues for protectees.

“I think Saturday was important on two levels. On a personal level, just seeing the history and behind-the-scenes of the White House was an incredible opportunity. Professionally, seeing everything that goes behind the safety and security of the president was incredible,” Jennings said.

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