YOUR SAY: Public safety money well spent during Trump campaign rally

With great trepidation I anticipated the appearance of Donald Trump at the rally in Macon on Nov. 30. As a lifelong resident of this town I uniquely understood the explosive potential of a Trump campaign rally in this city. The histrionics of Macon mixed with the divisive theatrical rhetoric of Trump is at best problematic.

Several mitigating factors contributed to my trepidation regarding Trump's appearance. Initially, it was based on an assault of a protester by attendees at a Nov. 21 Birmingham, Alabama, Trump rally. Trump commented at the time of the assault that the protester should have been roughed up. According to media reports, the protester interrupted the rally by shouting "black lives matter" which precipitated a fight between the protester and Trump supporters.

The level of anxiety was dramatically escalated when former Macon Mayor C. Jack Ellis announced he would be part of a group of protesters in front of the Macon Coliseum during the Trump rally. The presence of protesters at a Trump campaign rally in Macon was a recipe for disaster.

I believe, as do most Maconites, that Trump and his supporters have the right to rally at the Coliseum, but equally, I also believe those who choose to protest have a right to do so peacefully without fear of assault.

Consequently, the Birmingham Trump rally prompted Bibb County District Attorney David Cooke to issue a warning to people planning to attend the Macon campaign rally. Cooke stated "violence is not part of the democratic exchange of ideas and violence will not be tolerated." Cooke went on to say, "as chief law enforcement officer for the community, I wanted to make sure that what's happened at previous events doesn't happened here."

Moreover, Cooke said, "there has been an escalation of violence at more than one event and the candidate himself has essentially endorsed it. ... I want to make it clear that we're not going to allow that here. If someone does commit unlawful violence at one of these events, we are going to prosecute it."

Accordingly, at the request of the Secret Service and District Attorney Cooke, Sheriff David Davis was tasked with providing security at the Coliseum. Trump's visit to Macon drew thousands of supporters and a group of about 30 protesters. Protesters held signs with statements such as "Veterans Against Trump" and "Hospitality not Hostility." They also shouted chants such as "hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has to go."

There was a contentious moment when two vendors moved their tables in front of the protesters. This necessitated a call to Davis, who quickly resolved the issue before it could escalate.

Unlike during the Birmingham rally, there was no violence in Macon thanks to the efforts of Cooke and Davis. I believe that based on the statements previously made by Cooke and the presence of deputies a different outcome was achieved.

I further believe the citizens of this community owe a debt of gratitude to Cooke and Davis for performing their duties with the utmost professionalism and impartiality.

Furthermore, for those who say the roughly $15,000 cost in overtime pay for deputies assigned to the Coliseum should be paid by the Trump campaign, I say that the money was well spent. After all, the reputation of this community is worth that and much more when we consider what might have occurred.

Leroy Mack is a resident of Macon.

This story was originally published January 9, 2016 at 9:10 PM with the headline "YOUR SAY: Public safety money well spent during Trump campaign rally ."