Laramie Police Department to Assist Jackson During Eclipse Festivities

Laramie Police officers may be traveling to Jackson to assist the Jackson Police Department during the solar eclipse in August, pending approval of a memorandum of understanding by the Laramie City council.

Laramie Police Lieutenant Gwen Smith said under the memorandum, three Laramie Police officers will be granted jurisdiction in Jackson, in order to assist Jackson law enforcement in managing the expected crowds during the solar eclipse.

The Laramie officers assigned to Jackson will have jurisdiction from Aug 18 through the 22. Lt. Smith said the memorandum also clarifies which party is responsible for salary, overtime and worker’s compensation over the five-day period.

Smith said other cities had also requested assistance from the Laramie Police. She said Douglas had asked Laramie to provide officers as well, but ultimately Laramie didn’t have the manpower to assist Jackson and Douglas while also maintaining law enforcement operations locally.

Wyoming is expecting as many as 350,000 tourists to travel to the state to watch the eclipse. The city council will discuss the memorandum during their regular meeting Tuesday, May 16.