Huge policing operation for Trump's Scotland visit - 'Few if any cops will not be impacted'
Strict airspace regulations will also be in place as part of vast security operation
The head of the Scottish Police Federation has said all officers in Scotland could be affected by the visit this week of US president Donald Trump.
David Threadgold, who chairs the body that represents rank and file officers, said some may be expected to work 12-hour shifts, posing a “challenge” for how they eat, sleep and rest.
Strict airspace restrictions will also be in place over Mr Trump’s inaugural Scottish golf resort as part of a vast security operation.
Speculation mounted about a potential visit of the president this month when Police Scotland confirmed it was in the early stages of planning for such an event.
In Washington DC on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Mr Trump will visit both of his golf courses in Scotland - Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire - between July 25 and 29.
Mr Threadgold told Scotland on Sunday: “This is a huge policing event for Scotland and we will require mutual aid because of the huge demand on my colleagues.
“Very few if any cops will not be impacted by next week’s visit and beyond.
“I suppose the natural comparison in terms of scale is previous presidential visits and COP26.
“We are talking about bespoke workforce plans because although this is a well-established workforce we are cognisant we cannot deliver this without impacting on individual officers across the country.
“What that means in simple terms is some may be required to work 12-hour shifts for example, which normally wouldn’t happen.
“That is the type of change cops will see during this event.
“We also need to consider how officers will eat and drink and rest during this policing which will be a challenge.”
He stressed that despite the added pressures the public should be reassured officers will continue to deliver community policing.
“This is already a difficult time for Police Scotland as they are trying to organise and deliver this at short notice during a period of high annual leave,” he said.
Time off ‘very unlikely’
“We are not going to be telling officers they cannot go on holiday, but those who ask for time off at short notice are very unlikely to get it.
“Operation Roll is a very high demand event but we will continue to deliver community policing.
“Inevitably there will be an impact on our ability to do that, but the public should be reassured that emergencies will still be responded to, there just might be an impact on service delivery.
“There are so many people committed to this event but the public should be confident that we are excellent at what we do and our experience of policing things like Operation Unicorn and the Commonwealth Games should we can deliver.”
Police Scotland is reported to have requested extra officers from across the UK to support the upcoming visit by Mr Trump.
Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said a policing plan will be in place to “maintain public safety, balance rights to peaceful protest and minimise disruption,” adding: “The visit will require a significant police operation using local, national and specialist resources from across Police Scotland, supported by colleagues from other UK police forces as part of mutual aid arrangements.
"Officers make sacrifices every day to keep people safe, and their dedication and professionalism is the reason we manage to deliver significant operations."
Flying regulations
Notices filed by the Civil Aviation Authority reveal that sweeping flying regulations will be put in place over the Aberdeenshire site for nearly two weeks.
While Mr Trump’s visit - his first to his mother’s homeland since 2023 - will begin on Friday, the CAA restrictions began today, and will remain in place until 10 August.
It means that over that 22 day period, no unmanned aircraft will be allowed to fly below 1,000 feet within a one mile radius surrounding Trump International Golf Links.
The ban not only covers drones, but parachutes, paramotors, small balloons, and any kites, according to the documentation drawn up by the CAA’s regulators.
During Mr Trump’s visit to Scotland in his first term in office, widespread protests included a paraglider who descended on his Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire brandishing a banner which read ‘Trump: well below par’.
In the wake of the incident in July 2018, Police Scotland warned the paraglider that they had put themselves in “grave danger,” given armed officers from the US and the UK were protecting Mr Trump, who had arrived at Turnberry shortly beforehand.
A 55-year-old man was subsequently arrested, charged and released pending further inquiries, while that November, Police Scotland said a 35-year-old man had been reported to the procurator fiscal in connection with the incident. However, the Crown Office announced the following year that no criminal proceedings would be brought.
Series of upcoming tournaments
Mr Trump’s Aberdeenshire resort is set to host a series of tournaments in the coming weeks. The Legends Tour Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, an event featuring veterans including Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie, and José María Olazábal will be staged between 31 July and 3 August.
It will be followed by the DP World Tour Next Championship, which takes place between 7 August and 10 August. But the CAA restrictions will be in place for ten days before the first of the two tournaments begin.
The Balmedie resort is also set to welcome players to its new course come 13 August. Mr Trump is expected to take part in the opening ceremony for the recently constructed links, named after his mother, when he visits.
It has already been confirmed Mr Trump will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer while in Aberdeen, while plans are being put in place for the president to meet First Minister John Swinney, according to the Scottish Government.
The president will return to the UK in September for his second state visit.
Last week, Mr Trump told the BBC the north-east of Scotland - the oil and gas capital of Europe - should "get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil".
The US president has long been an opponent of wind farms, objecting to a development off the coast of Aberdeen which can be seen from his golf course.
There had also been speculation the King would host the American leader in Scotland after Charles suggested the meeting, at Balmoral or Dumfries House, in a letter he wrote to Mr Trump in February inviting him to make the state visit.
But it is understood with the state visit not long after the proposed meeting both sides decided to wait until the formal gathering.
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