Posted by
Darko Trifunovic on Friday, July 18, 2008 4:15:55 PM
A
Senior Officer with the Metropolitan Police has urged for training and
development to commence from 2008, to ensure that the level of security
required for the London Olympics in 2012 is fully implemented by then.
Tarique
Ghaffur, Met Assistant Commissioner, was speaking at the recent IFSEC
Exhibition in Birmingham, organised by the British Security Industry
Association, during which he warned that, without sufficient financial
backing to bolster the shortfall in security skills, the Police would
be unable to "catch up".
Mr Ghaffur is chiefly responsible for the policing in place at the London Olympics.
During
his speech, Mr Ghaffur said that "If the skills and technology building
doesn't start next year, we will run out of time. I have made a
significant bid for budget to start training next year, and we have to
do so or we won't be able to catch up."
Mr Ghaffur stated that
closer collaborations with the private security sector were paramount
for the Olympics, disclosing that talks had already commenced between
the force and external security bodies in order to form a group to
survey the security issues an event of this magnitude would create. He
also focused on the 'protective services' component of security at the
Olympic Games - including mounted patrols and firearms - highlighting
how these skills have been neglected within the Police.
Regarding these, Mr Ghaffur stressed the importance of again uniting with external firms to combat the shortfall.
Among
the principal issues for security at the London Olympics outlined by Mr
Ghaffur were the need to trial the proposed measures at events prior to
the Games, and the crucial role CCTV will play. He also pinpointed how,
with the correct security procedures in place in areas such as airports
and ferry terminals, the Olympics could be handled in a different way.
Detailing
this last factor, Mr Ghaffur stated: "The security element of the
Olympics has to start with the ticket. If you can do that well, you can
link it to border control, to transport, to accommodation and on to the
venue itself.
"And if you do that covertly, you can then have a
very light touch when it comes to policing the venue. We are still at
an early stage, and I don't want to miss that opportunity to use all of
those things - ticketing, border control, transport and so on - as part
of the Olympic security operation".
The ISFEC Exhibition, which
ran for four days, is the foremost annual security event on a global
basis, attracting in excess of 1,000 companies, representing 40
countries.