Security operation of Vancouver Olympics largest ever in Canada
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-08 15:53
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Vanoc's vice-president of Communications, Renee Smith-Valade, agreed with Cote. "Security is there to protect people and to make sure the Games are safe. We are planning in such a way that we expect it will be largely invisible," Smith-Valade told Xinhua. "I think we know that everyone coming to the games, athletes, spectators, families, officials, want to know that they can come to the games in a safe environment so the measures are being put in place that will ensure that."
Vonn also charged that the security program could be damaging to citizen rights. "These are security programs and equipment that would be fiercely resisted and highly controversial without the cover of a mega event, but which can usually be introduced without undue resistance on the grounds of challenges of special mega events," Vonn said.
In the first week of February, about a thousand closed circuit cameras were installed by security staff, mainly at venue sites, high-traffic zones and street intersactions where large numbers of pedestrians are expected to pass by during the Games.
Downtown streets well known to visitors, including Georgia, Granville and Robson Streets, are amongst the places included in the surveillance plan. The wide-angle views of these intersactions are monitored from the Olympic Transportation Operations Centre located close to the Vancouver City Hall.
Some Vancourites have raised concerns about privacy being violated by the closed circuit cameras installed in the city.
The director of Emergency Management and Public Safety, Kevin Wallinger, said the cameras are there for a specific purpose. "We are trying to get a situational awareness of crowd movement," he said.
Wallinger explained that when there are large crowds, the city wants to be prepared for situations and accidents like medical emergency or fire. He indicted that the cameras will be taken down after the Paralympic Games which will end on March 21.
Traffic is expected to be congested near event venues during the period of the Games. The director of Olympic Transportation, Dale Bracewell, advised visitors and citizens to plan ahead and try to use public transit as much as possible when traveling near Vancouver downtown and any Olympic venues. "We need everyone to support the transportation plan," urged Bracewell.
Participants of Olympic events are advised of security procedures similar to those getting on an airplane when they enter the event venues. Keith Davidson of the Integrated Security Unit advised participants to "get there early, bring the smallest bag possible and empty pockets of metallic items."
Bud Mercer, spokesperson of the Integrated Security Unit, said at an Olympic briefing last week that the Winter Olympics faced a low-level security threat and there were no known threats at present.
