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Police officers from several area communities were involved in providing traffic control and security for Vice President Mike Pence's stop in Palos Heights on Saturday to attend a funeral.

The effort involved briefly shutting 127th Street between Harlem Avenue and the Tri-State Tollway as the vice president's motorcade traveled between St. Alexander Church and Midway Airport, Dave Delaney, Palos Heights deputy police chief, said Monday.

Pence was at the church for the funeral of A. Raymond Schwaller.

Delaney said that Palos Heights had about 30 police personnel involved, and officers from communities including Alsip, Crestwood, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Orland Park, Palos Hills and Palos Park also took part.

He said the section of 127th Street was closed for about 10 minutes at approximately 9:30 a.m. as the motorcade made its way from the airport to the church, and again at about 11 a.m. as the vice president headed back to Midway.

The effort involved closing off access from all side streets and driveways from businesses along the route, Delaney said.

"It was very manpower-intensive," he said. "It's the first time we've had to do something like this in the 27 years (he has been with the department)."

Delaney said the department was notified Wednesday afternoon about the vice president coming to the city and met with Secret Service personnel Thursday and Friday to work out the security details.

At the church, supplementing the Secret Service detail, Palos Heights had several officers posted inside and outside the building while the vice president was inside. Because the parish school is attached to the church, "there are many entrances" that had to be secured, Delaney said.

Local fire departments and other first responders were notified about the 127th Street closures in order to reroute ambulances or fire engines, he said. He said there was one instance were an ambulance had to get through, which was cleared by the Secret Service.

"It went unbelievably smoothly," Delaney said of the traffic control and security work.

He said he was uncertain how many police were involved overall in the effort. Delaney said he was unsure the city would be eligible to be reimbursed for the costs associated with the vice president's business, but that the department wouldn't seek to recoup the expenses regardless.

He said the vice president spoke with some officers at Midway before leaving the Chicago area. Although born and raised in southern Indiana, Pence's parents grew up on Chicago's South Side. He told officers that his uncle, Bob Pence, was a Chicago police officer assigned to former Mayor Harold Washington's security detail, Delaney said.

"He spoke with us for about five or 10 minutes," Delaney said. "He was very gracious. He said he supports the police."

Schwaller had founded Schwaller Insurance Agency in 1954, and was a supporter of the DePaul University Athletic Foundation, Notre Dame Athletics and the Leo Alumni Association, according to his obituary. He served on the board of trustees for Mother McAuley High School, according to the obit.

The Palos Heights resident, who was 89, continued to come into the insurance office each day until well past his 87th birthday, according to the obit.

mnolan@tribpub.com

Twitter @mnolan_J

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Pence visit to Palos Heights requires hefty local police involvement - Chicago Tribune