Scottish police can not ignore the past assassination attempts on Donald Trump’s life as he heads for the UK this week, a chief has warned.
Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond revealed officers from across the UK have been drafted in to help police the visit of the US president.
It comes as protest groups have put up dozens of posters and billboards around the country about Trump’s potential connection to Epstein. However, these groups are not seen as a threat, but rather as a peaceful disturbance to the president’s plans.
Speaking to Sky News, ACC Bond said officials preparing for the operation have taken into consideration the risk factors and potential terror threats.
Trump survived an assassination bid last year at a campaign event with him being hit in the upper right ear by Thomas Matthew Crooks.
ACC Bond said: “There’s a broad range of considerations, absolutely. I mean, it would be inappropriate for me to plan an operation and not bear in mind what has happened in other parts of the world.
“But with that in mind, we’ve got a really experienced team of officers working as part of planning the operation.
“We’ve got really good command experience, and I’m confident that the operation that we will deliver is proportionate and what is required to meet the needs and to ensure that we keep the president safe.”
“I can’t say definitively there may not be some disruption to how we’ve done that, but absolutely, it’s been a priority to make sure that that’s minimised as much as possible,” she said.
“Police Scotland has a lot of experience in terms of organising and planning events and operations of this scale – really experienced – but it is a significant operation for us, focused on maintaining public safety, balancing people’s right to peaceful protest, and ensuring that we minimise disruption to communities.”