Hanover Security Inc. has been around for 19 years now, but the night of October 15 will probably be marked in red letters for years to come. On that night, the security firm located in Mechanicsville joined with the Secret Service, State Police and Henrico and Richmond police to provide protection for President Bush, Gov. Bill Clinton and Ross Perot for the presidential debate at the University of Richmond. Hanover Security got the choice assignment because of a longstanding relationship with the university's police force. Hanover Security has staffed UR athletic contests for years. This, of course, was a much bigger ballgame, and Hanover Security president Elizabeth B. Townsend admits she was anxious. Highest Level of Quality "It was different in that we wanted to bring to it the highest level of quality we could possibly bring," she says. "We wanted to send our finest troops." About 25 of Hanover Security's 100-plus employees worked the debate, led by Sgt. Robert P. Beisheim and Sgt. Michael T. Hamm. "They were available, and I didn't want their time to be divided between doing that and something else," says Townsend. "But they would have been two of my choice people anyway." It wasn't the first time Beisheim, who has worked at Hanover Security for three years, has been around a president. He also staffed the White House during Jimmy Carter's administration when he was in the Army. All-Night Vigils Hanover Security officers basically patrolled the grounds of the university, kept the public away from restricted areas and controlled access. They also guarded the equipment of the TV stations: CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and C-Span, starting all-night vigils at the beginning of the week and carrying through debate night. There were no serious incidents, though crowds had to be pushed back a few times. One one occasion, a group of Republicans who wanted to confront Clinton's motorcade had to be moved back. Despite the fact that "thousands" of security personnel were on hand, coordination between the various agencies went smoothly, Townsend says. "The Secret Service didn't question anything we did," she says. "It was a beautiful merger of private security and law enforcement." Townsend left a security conference in Virginia Beach Wednesday afternoon to be on the scene. She says her tensest moment came when she approached the Glenside Road overpass and saw a uniformed officer on the overpass. "Immediately your mind goes back to Dallas (and the assassination of President Kennedy)," she says. "It sent chills down my spine." But the immensity of the job actually helped relieve tension, she added. "You are so totally engrossed in getting the work done, and there's a lot of it to do, that you don't have time to get nervous," Townsend explained. Hanover Security provides security for the multi-week National Boy Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill every four years. Officers have also guarded the Batmobile and country singing star Randy Travis. But the presidential debate was a new landmark for the agency, Townsend believes. "It was a real special time for us," she says. "We've always put an emphasis on quality as opposed to quantity, and being honored with an assignment like this is like reaping the harvest of our work." By Tom Harris, H-P News Editor • November 12, 1992