Local
No arrests made during ceremony
By: Scott McCabe
Examiner Staff Writer
January 21, 2009
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| The crowd disperses on the National Mall after the swearing-in ceremony of President Barack Obama Washington, on Tuesday. Most of the on-site crews spent time reuniting lost children with parents or dealing with minor medical issues. (AP) |
“We had a crowd stretching from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and for the most part it was an orderly and festive,” said U.S. Park Police Sergeant Robert LaChance. “We couldn’t have asked for a better day.”
No arrests were made as of Tuesday afternoon, according to D.C., National Park and U.S. Capitol police.
Emergency crews mainly dealt with minor medical issues, and about 30 lost children throughout the day. Children who were lost on the south side of the National Mall were taken to a D.C. police substation at 415 Fourth St. in Southwest Washington. Those on the north side of the Mall were taken to a police station at 501 New York Ave. NW.
All the kids had been reunited with their families as of Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement officials said.
Not everything went as planned, though. Thousands of ticket holders who had been waiting for hours for the swearing-in were turned away and missed the inauguration. U.S. Capitol Police said there was an overcrowding and the fear that people would get hurt.
More than 22,000 law enforcement personnel were on hand to help with the crowds and provide security. Another 18,000 were camped out throughout the District.
LaChance credited the lack of incidents to the well-behaved spectators and the collaboration and months-long planning by federal and local security agencies and experts.
The past two inaugurations saw dozens of arrests. In 2001, Democrats angry over the ballot recount threw tomatoes and oranges during the parade. On the night of President Bush’s second inauguration, nearly 70 people were arrested in Adams Morgan by police in riot gear. A federal judged last year ruled that the arrests were unlawful.
