Frederick Board of County Commissioners president Blaine Young issued the following statement today regarding the G-8 Summit on behalf of the board:
"With only two months notice before the G-8 Summit, for which jurisdictions normally have years to prepare, law enforcement offices, county and municipal agencies and community organizations joined forces to address public safety and media issues related to the event. The Frederick County G-8 Summit Information Center webpage, social media sites, press releases and a call center were prepared to provide timely information on road closures, traffic congestion and police matters.
"During the two-day G-8 Summit, law enforcement agencies worked together to provide a heightened presence in the community in anticipation of increased traffic, the influx of visitors and demonstrations in the area. There were small gatherings of demonstrators in Frederick and Thurmont on May 18 and 19, and a large crowd of about 400 demonstrators on May 19 in Thurmont. After approximately two hours, most demonstrators departed the area. No arrests were reported that were associated with the summit.
"From all counts, the exceptional emergency management and planning for the summit resulted in a well-orchestrated and highly collaborative event. As one indicator of the success of the summit, the Frederick News-Post gave the county an "A" rating and wrote, "High marks for how well our first responders handled all precautionary aspects of the G-8 Summit, from Thurmont to Frederick." In addition, the newspaper’s editorial on Tuesday morning after the summit stated, "To both the police agencies who so diligently prepared for what could have been real trouble and to those who peacefully exercised their First Amendment rights, we say, ‘Well done!’"
"The Board of County Commissioners echoes those praises and thanks our community partners for pulling together their resources, time and efforts to serve the citizens of Frederick County. We also wish to recognize that while the world leaders were focused on the Camp David proceedings, many personnel were working behind the scenes to ensure the safety and well being of Frederick County residents. On a final note, with all the resources that the county poured into the summit during challenging economic times, be assured that the board will advocate and support all efforts to secure financial reimbursement for summit expenditures."
