University Police have helped secure Supreme Court justices, congressmen and even sitting presidents, so the arrival of Defense Secretary Robert Gates for this semester’s graduation ceremony looks to be just another day on the job.

“There will be some heightened security,” University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said.

But he said there should be little distraction for the general public.

Williamson said University Police have been in contact with the Department of Defense, which will be helping with security at the Dec. 18 commencement ceremonies.

The Department of Defense didn’t ask anything unusual of University Police, Williamson said.

“Just the basic stuff,” he said. “They’re going to want certain preemptive security measures.”

Tom Jackson, the University’s vice president for public affairs, said he wasn’t overly concerned about Gates’s security.

“University campuses are known for having guests like this,” he said. “They can handle these sorts of things.”

Jackson said the biggest demand the Defense Department had of University Police should not prove too difficult, especially compared to speakers the University hosted in the past, such as former President George H. W. Bush.

“The main security request has to do with the transportation between the airport and the colosseum,” he said. “When you get into a real situation with security is when you have a president or vice president or presidential candidate.”

Williamson said when former presidents or vice presidents speak on campus, crowds often come out to protest – a problem far less likely to follow a cabinet member.

This semester’s implementation of graduation ceremony ticketing is not related to any security concerns, Williamson said. Rather, it addresses the overcrowding seen at the past two semester’s graduations.