The city made a deal with Washington, D.C., officials to provide more than two dozen Phoenix police officers for inaugural events. 

They are considered elite law enforcement — 25 officers from the tactical-response unit with advanced training to deal with potentially violent situations or high public-safety risks. 

Their assignment, which runs from Jan. 15 to 21, includes traffic and security responsibilities. Phoenix is paying their regular salaries while the Washington, D.C., police department will reimburse travel, lodging, meals and overtime. 

Before the last presidential inauguration in 2013, the officers’ union filed a complaint with the city alleging gender, race and ethnicity were improperly used to choose officers for the coveted assignment. An investigation determined the method was flawed, it was changed, and, according to the city manager, no one was prevented from the assignment based on a flawed method.

Sgt. Mercedes Fortune told KJZZ the officers working this inauguration were “chosen by seniority and for their specialized training.”