The Olympics will require a ‘fantastic’ amount of security measures, the senior Met man putting the policing side of the show together told the recent ISNR conference.
Assistant Commissioner Tariq Ghaffur had this to say to people wanting Olympics business: "Everybody wants a piece of the Olympics pie and I would say to the private sector; there is no single supplier who can supply the whole security, safety or resilience effort; and if you do [think otherwise] I will disabuse you of that." He spoke of a ‘lockdown’ by 2010 leaving enough time to reality-test the venues with events, before an operational plan to deliver the Games. He spoke also of running exercises around operational scenarios: "What I don’t want to do is leave it until the last minute."
He was a regular speaker at security events in 2007 – such as IFSEC 2007, and the second British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC) annual conference in London on December 4. The day after, he was at International Security and National Resilience at Olympia. Topics organisers are starting to look at how to secure range from ticketing to accreditation. On the Olympics park itself, more four years before the games begin, there are uniformed police officers. As in previous speeches, Tariq Ghaffur spoke of ‘true partnership working’ and a ‘step change’, and not only for the time of the Olympics, but after – ‘legacy’ being a buzz word around the Games, for one thing to bring lasting benefits to east London. Tariq Ghaffur gave a big hint that there could therefore be plenty of work for east London-based guarding companies – or at least guards living in the area: "One of the key aspects is that we want to involve local communities very significantly in the security effort – we are doing a number of initiatives where we are bringing in volunteers and others."
Tariq Ghaffur went on to the ‘challenges’. First, getting a balance between risks, costs and operational requirements. Putting it another way; creating a ‘fortress London’ would have an impact on people’s experience of the Games: "So I expect there will be trade offs." That said, it is important that people feel safe. He spoke of ‘lighter touch security’ at venues. As for the technology, where there is certainty about it, he is keen to agree now, for example on command and control. He pointed out that the Met has a 20-year contract with Airwave, which he is not going to unpick. "We realise there is a lot of niche technology out there that can assist the security and safety environment. I have been in the US recently; I must say how impressed I am on the amount of technology developed since 9-11. We need to procure niche technology, from this country or wherever."
Some background: the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is responsible for preparing and staging the Games. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is the public body responsible for developing and building the venues and infrastructure for the games. The Met Police leads the Olympic Security Directorate (OSD) – Tariq Ghaffur giving ISNR delegates the OSD address of PO Box 54548, London E15 2UX; and email of [email protected]
Chairing the conference was Dr Peter Ryan, the former chief constable who as chief of police in New South Wales was in charge of the policing of the Sydney 2000 summer Olympics, generally praised as a Games that got the balance right between being welcoming and secure. He commented that the task was ‘enormous’: "I don’t think people realise how big it is, until you get involved. An enormous amount of planning and decisions that have to be made and a multiplicity of stake-holders who all want to affect these things." As if to second that, among the questioners from the audience was Martin Love of Westminster City Council, who said that one of the challenges not yet tackled by OSD or LOCOG was how to deal with two and a half million blue-badge holders across Europe; how to screen them before the Games, and Paralympics? As Tariq Ghaffur replied, transport was a big issue, given past attacks on the transport system, and the volume of transport to the Olympics. He spoke of target-hardening, and vetting of people working on transport. Addressing Dr Ryan he said: "Peter, you will know from your experience in Sydney that was one thing where you put a lot of energy, in joining the whole thing up. Because the situation I face – I can get a budget for policing shortly, hopefully, but BTP [British Transport Police] is not funded." This little exchange showed some of the Olympics truths; that there is a fund of experience passed on from Games to Games – Peter Ryan having worked at Athens and Beijing since – and that, as ever, security priorities arising from your threat assessment come down to money. World events may change the threat before 2012. Peter Ryan too spoke in terms of a ‘spiral of activity until the day’ and described the run-up to Athens in 2004, including drawing on NATO: "As it turned out it was a peaceful event, thank God."
