(Fargo, ND) – The Fargo Police Department will be sending 15 of its officers to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to assist with the Republican National Convention in July.
Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski made the request of the Fargo City Commission at its regular meeting Monday night. The request was made by way of an Emergency Management Assistance Compact through the State of North Dakota.
“These are volunteer participants,” Zibolski told the Commission. The officers work within the department’s crowd management team.
Concerns from City Commission members regarding staffing were addressed by Zibolski.
“We’ve evaluated our staffing for this period of time,” he said. “I’ve been informed by our command staff that they are able to support this without any additional overtime or other measures.”
Ultimately, the Commission voted 4-1 to support the request, with Denise Kolpack casting the lone dissenting vote.
“I’ve really struggled with this issue at this time,” Kolpack said before the vote took place. She cited the city’s police force facing recent retirements, added community concerns and the busy summer as some of the reasons for her concern.
One citizen spoke out against the Commission’s vote, saying the decision is “very problematic.”
“How can this not be seen as inherently political,” the resident said. “And you want to take away from our local needs to send police to a political event.”
