Securing the Olympics just got serious!
As with any major event, there have been threats about potential bombings and other criminal acts - but the city of London simply isn't having it.
With security measures that rival London’s protection plan for World War II, $877 million has gone into collecting more than 12,500 police officers, 7,000 civilian security workers, and 5,500 military troops in combination with barbed wire/electrified fencing and security checkpoints.
While armed security is usually limited to London’s airports, some of the forces protecting the Olympics are armed with 9mm semi-automatic guns. Backing up the man power, there are nearly 2,000 closed-circuit television cameras that feed directly to New Scotland Yard, the Metropolitan Police headquarters. Vehicles entering the area will be subjected to an interior and exterior search by the military.
But probably the most curious security measure has been the installation of six temporary missile sites around East London. Two ground-to-air missiles are perched atop residential buildings, the residents of which lost a legal battle to have the weapons moved elsewhere.
While these measures are in place to protect athletes, domestic and international, Londoners question whether or not the heightened security measures and invasive tactics will continue following the games.
Nick Pickles is the director of Big Brother Watch in London, and he spoke with NBCNews.com about the lasting effects of the severe protection acts. “Of course the Olympics need to be secure, but there is a danger of losing sight of all proportion. It would be a sad indictment of modern Britain if the lasting legacy of the Games is an unwarranted security and surveillance infrastructure.”
However, the assistant commissioner of the Metro Police insisted that, due to the large volume of security forces, they were being asked to use a “light touch” in response to questionable actions. In the event of an emergency, for example, they were urged to walk instead of run in order to prevent crowd panic. They have also been tasked with the mission of staying inconspicuous to encourage Olympic visitors to enjoy the Games.
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