Jindal draws more police protection
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When it comes to his security entourage, Gov. Bobby Jindal is considered by state officials to be a “rock star” among politicians.
His sheer star power, they say, demands heightened security.
The number of state troopers that shadow the governor and his family grew significantly when Jindal took the oath of office in January.
Numerous troopers flank Jindal when he interacts with the public. They stood on rooftops around St. Joseph Cathedral while he prayed before the inauguration. They drive him to and from the State Capitol. They hover outside his children’s classroom doors.
State officials cite security concerns in refusing to say just how many troopers are assigned to Jindal, his wife and their three children, who range in age from 6 years old to 1.
However, State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson acknowledged Friday that former Gov. Kathleen Blanco had a smaller security team.
The difference, he said, is the size of the crowd that Jindal attracts when he makes public appearances.
“He’s like a rock star. He’s like a national figure. That status brings security issues,” Edmonson said.
Jindal said he does not feel like a rock star. He also said he does not spend a lot of time worrying whether his life is at risk.
“I don’t mean to be fatalistic about this, but I think that what’s going to happen is going to happen,” he said.
Jindal said State Police did not ask for his input in designing a security plan for him.
He said he did not ask for troopers to be assigned to his children. He said he would not object if the troopers stopped shadowing his children at school.
“We didn’t question them,” he said. “We basically accepted their judgment.”
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