Former Phoenix Police commander talks about security, as Trump rally nears

As news of President Donald Trump's visit to Phoenix on August 22, there are concerns that with political passions on high, it may be challenging to keep everyone safe.

On Wednesday, FOX 10's John Hook spoke with Jeff Halstead, a man who has spend more than 20 years as a Phoenix Police commander, and ran the Homeland Security Bureau.

"You never want to have these two factions totally collide, and sometimes with an intent for collision that's absolutely uncalled for," said Halstead.

Halstead said the difference between Phoenix and Charlottesville is that the police department in Phoenix maintains on-going relationships with all the different factions.

"Their intelligence, and the way they work within the intelligence community, and the partnership with the FBI and the ATF and the DEA is outstanding," said Halstead. "It's probably some of the best in the entire nation. I would have a peace of mind, because the intelligence is so current and so fresh and so good, because the relationships are so outstanding."

Halstead said, however, that anytime passions run high, there's always the possibility of trouble.