Riggs, 28, is in his second year on the force in the nation’s capital and is a former Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy. He is the son Janet and Tim Riggs, who is a retired Middletown police officer.
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Policing in D.C. can be like any other area, Riggs said with its share of bar fights, domestic disturbances, robberies, burglaries, shootings and homicides. But the city also has unique elements due to its hub of national government and politics.
“We get to work in tandem with the NSA and Secret Service,” Riggs, a Fairfield High School graduate, said. “We have a lot of calls for suspicious packages here. Protests crop up a least a couple times a week. Then you also get to interact with people and diplomats from all over the world. Really you can come across just about anything and everything. Never boring.”
The mass of crowds in the city will make work even more exciting for a few days, he said.
“They are telling us to be ready,” Riggs said, noting the adage “expect the best, but plan for the worst” applies.
“We are here to assure the safety of people coming for the inauguration and those who wish to express their first amendment rights,” Riggs said. “We go where the crowds go.”
Riggs said he is looking forward to being a part of the behind the scenes workings as history is made, but knows the dangers, referencing the Boston Marathon bombing.
“Overall I am just really excited,” he said. “It’s going to be an awesome experience.”
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