Olympic security Options

[badmummajamma]

Is it just me or does anyone else find the "security measures" employed for the London 2012 Olympics a little unnerving?

The Olympic Games are supposed to be about global unity and the ideal of peaceful competition.

Somehow, that now involves Surface-to-Air missiles on tower blocks, Typhoon jets and faceless paramilitary style cops in balaclavas waving hand guns at people.

I think I'm going to steer well clear of London during the Games.

[Roger T]

I didn't hear of the surface to air missiles. Although Bruce Willis might be called in just in case it kicks off.
I saw a Marcus Brigstocke sketch once. A funny man. Reminded me of me in 10 years. Although he is younger than me.
Maths defyed me as a child.

But he mentioned "letting people in who can run and swim and jump...? If you let them in you'll never catch them!". I'm sure in good humor but I wonder if people in power are wary.
Of course it could just be to protect the masses that be. Nobody would like another riot like those of Tottenham.

Although I could care less about the Olympics. Just reminds me of gym class at school. Or perhaps a school sports day. An angry man in Aviators with a moustache shouting at you. Knee high socks. Regular beatings. That sort of thing. I remember one egg and spoon race clearly. I unfortunately was the egg.
Good day.

[badmummajamma]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17908640

[Strafin]

I like Richard Littlejohn (most of the time) and think he makes a good point here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-...lock-Green.html

Haters - I know it's the daily mail but don't be so judgemental, give the piece a chance!

[Darren]

Is it just me or does anyone else find the "security measures" employed for the London 2012 Olympics a little unnerving?

The Olympic Games are supposed to be about global unity and the ideal of peaceful competition.

Somehow, that now involves Surface-to-Air missiles on tower blocks, Typhoon jets and faceless paramilitary style cops in balaclavas waving hand guns at people.

I think I'm going to steer well clear of London during the Games.

Sadly some don't think the same way as history has shown

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_massacre

[NWNREADER]

Is it just me or does anyone else find the "security measures" employed for the London 2012 Olympics a little unnerving?

The Olympic Games are supposed to be about global unity and the ideal of peaceful competition.

Somehow, that now involves Surface-to-Air missiles on tower blocks, Typhoon jets and faceless paramilitary style cops in balaclavas waving hand guns at people.

I think I'm going to steer well clear of London during the Games.

What is the intelligence upon which the plans are being made?
What would you say if something happened and there was no response available?
Where have you seen cops waving handguns at people?

[James_Trinder]

I think I'm going to steer well clear of London during the Games.

This is why I'm going to Coventry to watch the Olympic football.

[Dodgys smarter b...]

I didn't hear of the surface to air missiles.

Not only you. Some of the residents who have them on their roofs were also not told.

Nimby?

(Apologies for the off-site link)

[badmummajamma]

What is the intelligence upon which the plans are being made?
What would you say if something happened and there was no response available?
Where have you seen cops waving handguns at people?

I've no doubt that there is intelligence to suggest that the Games may pose a a target for terrorism but, lets face it, what are SAM missiles realistically going to protect against? A hijacked plane? Ok, but once a missle hits a plane, what happens to it and where does it come down? Covent Garden?

Similarly, how does a Typhoon stop a hijacked plane? By bringing it down - again - over London.

Neither are particularly discreet solutions.

Just seems excessive and rather intimidating for the 99.99999% of people who will visit this country to enjoy the Games as our guests.

The problem is that it'll be someone's responsibility to oversee security, and, if the worst happens, the British public would be looking to lynch them. So instead of a calm and measured preparation, someone's thrown shed loads of military might at it so that they can say, even if there is a c*ck up, that they gave it everything we had.

I'm ashamed to say that the police thing was in the *ahem* Daily Mail. It wasn't mine. Honest. But there was a picture of one of London's Olympic response force cops responding to that nutcase in Tottenham Court Road last week. Clad in balaclava, "civvies", two hand guns and a machine gun.

I don't know about you, but I'm a firm believer in police accountability. Not being able to know the identity at the person weilding a weapon on behalf of the state is a scary prospect.

[NWNREADER]

I've no doubt that there is intelligence to suggest that the Games may pose a a target for terrorism but, lets face it, what are SAM missiles realistically going to protect against? A hijacked plane? Ok, but once a missle hits a plane, what happens to it and where does it come down? Covent Garden?

Similarly, how does a Typhoon stop a hijacked plane? By bringing it down - again - over London.

Neither are particularly discreet solutions.

Just seems excessive and rather intimidating for the 99.99999% of people who will visit this country to enjoy the Games as our guests.

The problem is that it'll be someone's responsibility to oversee security, and, if the worst happens, the British public would be looking to lynch them. So instead of a calm and measured preparation, someone's thrown shed loads of military might at it so that they can say, even if there is a c*ck up, that they gave it everything we had.

I'm ashamed to say that the police thing was in the *ahem* Daily Mail. It wasn't mine. Honest. But there was a picture of one of London's Olympic response force cops responding to that nutcase in Tottenham Court Road last week. Clad in balaclava, "civvies", two hand guns and a machine gun.

I don't know about you, but I'm a firm believer in police accountability. Not being able to know the identity at the person weilding a weapon on behalf of the state is a scary prospect.

There was a lot of comment by journalists (no finer body ever walked the planet, of course) as to why the USAF had not taken out the planes that were hi-jacked on 11 September.
As long as Tony B Liar has been nowhere near the intelligence gathering or decision making I would rather (if I were the decision maker) be told afterwards I seemed to have over-resourced than allowed a catastrophe. The problem, when something does not happen, is no-one can be sure if the activity was deterred or was not going to happen anyway. The journo's have their feast either way.
As for that police officer, I too despair of the appearance, but I understand the balaclava is a flash protector, not a disguise.

[spartacus]

As for that police officer, I too despair of the appearance, but I understand the balaclava is a flash protector, not a disguise.

If that was the case then he should have had flash protection for his arms. And if the balaclava is a quick attempt at anonymity then he perhaps should have thought about that identifying tattoo on the inside of his arm....

[Nothing Much]

I think the whole Hi-Vis, helmet is a bit of scare. Such as the bloke in a balaclava.
(Is that a greek starter?)

I feel that as a simple central Londoner who has no interest. It would be nice to be safe.
Having said that I will be heading off north for the period, (S+d His Lordship Coe.)
I am totally Tory but he is a pain. Obviously not a Thomas Paine who did better things.
ce

[r.bartlett]

I was -very- loosely involved in security of the Olympic site a couple of years ago which included site visits. Speaking back then to the on site chap he suggested the Olympic bods were -in his words- absolutely scared s**tless about terrorist threats. He even said the very first people on site long before the builders were the SAS and they have not left since. If you have ever been on site you will notice the constant helicopters buzzing overhead....
Another contact is involved in Sainsbury supermarkets and they are about to put STA missiles on top of their stratford store which is going to cause him all sorts of trouble with access to the roof..

[Cognosco]

I was -very- loosely involved in security of the Olympic site a couple of years ago which included site visits. Speaking back then to the on site chap he suggested the Olympic bods were -in his words- absolutely scared s**tless about terrorist threats. He even said the very first people on site long before the builders were the SAS and they have not left since. If you have ever been on site you will notice the constant helicopters buzzing overhead....
Another contact is involved in Sainsbury supermarkets and they are about to put STA missiles on top of their stratford store which is going to cause him all sorts of trouble with access to the roof..

A contact informed me that the Stratford store has problems with rats, same as Newbury funnily enough, so perhaps they should also install ATS missiles as well?

[Newbelly]

I think the security of the Olympics is one of those cases where the authorities are damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

Considering what the games are meant to be about, I am more exercised about the "us and them" nature when it comes to spectators, with there seemingly being no obstacle to ensuring that officials and VIPs have an inconvenience-free attendance.

I have long held the view that the games should return to Greece and stay there – perhaps the Greeks could have a purpose-built facitility on one of their many islands and lease it out! I suppose this will never happen as the IOC gravy train could not then fly around the world inspecting sites and doing deals!

Anyway, I hope all goes well and everyone has a safe time.

[Biker1]

Considering what the games are meant to be about, I am more exercised about the "us and them" nature when it comes to spectators, with there seemingly being no obstacle to ensuring that officials and VIPs have an inconvenience-free attendance.

I have long held the view that the games should return to Greece and stay there – perhaps the Greeks could have a purpose-built facitility on one of their many islands and lease it out! I suppose this will never happen as the IOC gravy train could not then fly around the world inspecting sites and doing deals!

Good points.
Like everything else, especially in sport, it is now all about money.

[Timbo]

I personally think the whole thing is crap. Nowhere else in the world when there are Olypmics do they place missiles on apartment blocks roofs, and to be fair it's probably illegal. I can't concrete my front drive but they can build a launch pad for some missiles...And it's illogical, 99% (not an exact number) of terrorist threats are ground based, suicide bomber, car packed with explosives type of thing. I think you'd notice a plane being hi-jacked long before it went steaming into the stadium, they all have special transponders which pilots can operate, even when under durress, and if they were shot and the plane was being flown by terrorists they would know when they didn't respond to ATC.
And I'm sure the RAF have an airbase around here, at full speed a fighter jet could get from the Scottish Highlands to the south coast in about 20 minutes so I'm sure we'll be OK.

I think Newbelly's suggestion is good, building a world sports arena, but then there's so much money put into the Olympics and about bringing business to your state, that the world wouldn't let it happen. Although considering Greece's current financial situation it would either be their get-out-of-debt card or sink the country.

[Dodgys smarter b...]

I personally think the whole thing is crap. Nowhere else in the world when there are Olypmics do they place missiles on apartment blocks roofs

Since September 11th 2001, there have been Olympics in Greece and China.

When the People's Republic of China hosted the Olympics it had a 110 000 soldiers and police officers inside Bejing, and they had surface-to-air missiles inside the city mounted on buildings, both residential and commercial.. They also had 34 000 soldiers outside Bejing including 74 military aircraft and 44 helicopters, Greece also placed dozens of US-made Patriot missiles both in and around Athens some weeks before the 2004 Olympics. on all sorts of buildings, again, both residential and commercial.

Sorry, your statement is wrong.

[andy1979uk]

Since September 11th 2001, there have been Olympics in Greece and China.

When the People's Republic of China hosted the Olympics it had a 110 000 soldiers and police officers inside Bejing, and they had surface-to-air missiles inside the city mounted on buildings, both residential and commercial.. They also had 34 000 soldiers outside Bejing including 74 military aircraft and 44 helicopters, Greece also placed dozens of US-made Patriot missiles both in and around Athens some weeks before the 2004 Olympics. on all sorts of buildings, again, both residential and commercial.

Sorry, your statement is wrong.

Any public event of this size needs maximum security, anything else would be putting the publics lives at risk.

[TallDarkAndHands...]

It only takes a chubber and a big pair of underpants..... BOOM!