US President Joe Biden is coming to Connecticut on Friday, and his visit includes a stop in Greenwich for a re-election fundraiser in back country.
Greenwich Police Deputy Chief Mark Zuccerella said in an email Friday morning, “The President of the United States of America will be attending a private function today in the Town of Greenwich. Drivers are advised that there will be road closures and a heightened police presence throughout Town.”
Zuccerella said specific details on the President’s movements through Town had not been released.
“The Greenwich Police Department recognizes that sudden and unexpected road closures can cause inconvenience and delay travel. The Department is working with partner law enforcement agencies to reduce the impact that this may have on our community.”
President Biden is scheduled to attend a gun safety event at the University of Hartford in West Hartford where he will be the keynote speaker for the National Safer Communities Summit.
With the president traveling to Greenwich after his speech in West Hartford, there are additional TFRs that will go into effect in the Fairfield County/Southern New York area.
On his radio show Friday morning First Selectman Fred Camillo lamented that the town would foot the bill for providing services of the Greenwich Police Dept.
“These guys come in here – both Republicans and Democrats – and we have to provide security, you know we have to make sure things are okay, and we don’t get reimbursed. We would love to see in the future, when President Biden comes in here and pulls in a couple million dollars, they would go to the towns helping provide for that money, to at least pay for it.”
“I’m hoping that in the future that’s something we can work on because it taxes the budget,” Camillo added.
This is not the first, nor that last visit from a US President to cause traffic disruptions and make use of police services without reimbursing the town.
Back in 2006, President George W Bush visited the Riverside home of then State Senator Scott Frantz to attend a fundraiser for state Republican candidates. According to reports at the time, Bush spent about an 90 minutes in town and raised $400,000.
According to reports at the time, in 2010, Barack Obama attended a $30,400-a-plate fundraiser at the Conyers Farm home of Richard Richman, a real estate developer. Obama arrived via helicopter at the Greenwich Polo Club and traveled to the event in a limo. That event raised $1million for the DNC.