(Okoboji)– The town of Okoboji will be represented at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah in February.
Police Chief Dave Jacobson and officer Mitch Watters have been selected as volunteer law enforcement officers that will help with security at various events. They’ll join hundreds of other officers from throughout the country.
Watters applied before Jacobson did…in October. Watters learned of the opportunity in a law enforcement trade publication and a site on the internet. After seeing some of the paperwork, Jacobson got interested as well and decided to apply. They found out they had been accepted early last month.
Watters says they’ll have the same authority as any other law enforcement officer in Utah…with full arrest power.
Jacobson says he and Watters will be working with a unit of officers in and outside of the Delta Center…an ice arena in downtown Salt Lake City where figure and speed skating events will be held.
Jacobson and Watters will be in Salt Lake City February 5th. They’ll undergo a couple of days of training prior to the opening ceremonies. They’ll be there the full run of the games.
The two cops say they look forward to the whole olympic atmosphere and working with a melting pot of people from all over the world.
Jacobson and Watters thanked the Mayor and City Council for allowing them to have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Okoboji’s two remaining police officers and off-duty officers from departments in neighboring towns will fill in while Jacobson and Watters are gone.
