About 20 officers from Butler and Stoddard counties were among those ensuring the safety of President Donald Trump's motorcade Monday night as it passed through the city of Cape Girardeau en route to his rally at the Show Me Center.
But, even before Air Force One landed at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport and the president's motorcade headed toward the event center, his route had been searched for explosives by Poplar Bluff Police Lt. Darron Moore and canine Loco.
As members of the Southeast Missouri Regional Bomb Team, Moore, Loco and Brian Delise from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety were attached to the motorcade route.
"Our job was just prior to other officers securing the route; we walked and drove the nine-mile route," explained Moore. "As we cleared it, (other officers) secured it.
"They had enough officers there, each officer could see the next officer on the street for most of the nine miles."
Moore said he saw U.S. park rangers, as well as officers from across Southeast Missouri and the Bootheel, providing security.
"It was definitely a regional effort," he said.
Several of the intersections Trump's motorcade passed were manned by Poplar Bluff and Dexter officers or Butler County deputies.
"Cape PD asked for help from several surrounding agencies," said Poplar Bluff Deputy Police Chief Donnie Trout. "We chose to send eight. The best I remember (Cape asked for) as many as you could spare."
Trout said he put out word to both shifts of patrol officers, and it was "basically first come, first serve.
"Those eight stepped up very quickly. It was probably a once-in-a-lifetime event to actually get to work a motorcade."
Like many agencies, Dexter Police Chief Trevor Pulley said, his department also sent eight officers.
"We had staff officers, such as the captain, detectives and patrol officers," who volunteered for the assignment, Pulley said.
"Agencies are always going to provide mutual aid to other agencies; that's what law enforcement does," Pulley explained.
The president's visit to Cape, according to Pulley, was such a large undertaking there was no way one agency could have handled it.
"If an agency asks for assistance, we are going to help another agency," Pulley said.
In speaking with several of his officers Tuesday morning, "they enjoyed it, and it was a good experience for the officers," Pulley said. "It's something they don't always get to participate in."
Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs said he sent two deputies to help with motorcade security.
"It's a demonstration of how Southeast Missouri law enforcement works together when needed," Dobbs said.
For Moore and Loco, this was the second presidential event they have helped to secure.
In 2016, the team searched the St. Louis venue for the debate between Trump and challenger Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election.
For this event, Moore said, he, Loco and Delise started their security sweeps as they left the airport utilizing both Loco and other search methods.
"We exited the interstate as quick as we could," Moore said. "Then, they took a more residential route.
" ... They did not take the most direct route" between the airport and Show Me Center.
Interstate 55, according to Moore, was shut down twice for about 15 to 20 minutes as the motorcade passed Monday night.
"We cleared the route both prior to him arriving and just prior to him leaving the Show Me Center," Moore explained.
"Luckily, we were driving for the most part, but there were a lot of places we had to get out," Moore said. "(Loco) searched quite a bit of vehicles last night."
The officers, Moore said, were accompanied by Secret Service personnel, as well as Department of Defense explosive experts.
"Then, we also had federal and St. Louis Regional bomb techs on standby with the rest of the bomb techs from our team" in case a device was found, Moore explained.
While Moore and the others were searching the route, he said, military explosive canine handlers were searching the Show Me Center.
"Had they located something (in the center), our bomb techs would have taken care of that also," said Moore, who indicated they had about an hour down time between searches.
Moore said their second search of the motorcade route, which had been "held by officers" the whole time, started about 10 minutes prior to the president ending his speech and coming off the stage.
"The crazy thing, in talking with the Secret Service, they did this six times" Monday across the United States, Moore said. Both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, he said, each held three campaign rallies on Monday.
"It was a pretty interesting thing to watch and be a part of," Moore said.