police security during london olympics

With less than17 days to go, Teresa May told the Commons she was 'confident' the Government's partners in security G4S, LOCOG and the Military have it all covered and the Home Office has checked the plans and will continue to do so without being complacent. But on LBC 97.3's Anthony Davis show, former workers, and others, called and text claiming little or no training for new staff saying that people were interviewed for jobs were given passes but then not hired for a job, but still had access all area passes. One used to work in recruitment and claimed most staff were inexperienced in security and little more than school-leavers, some couldn't even fill in the application form properly. They described it all as a 'nightmare' and 'disorganised'. Pay was also much in debate, around the minimum wage level, when G4S have a near £300m contract with London 2012 to protect the Games.

All this as a near dozen arrests last week by anti-terror police both in Stratford and around the country. At the weekend, claims of a would-be terrorist on a Home Office watch list breaking conditions and travelling by train through the Olympic Park five times in one day. Frankly I can think of better things to do with my time or maybe he was just updating his twitter followers with the latest sights! 

After Munich 1972, September 11th and July 7th here in London, the 2012 Olympics were never going to be 'security lite' that's why we have the biggest homeland security operation since the 2nd World War with the Navy docked in the Thames and Surface to Air Missiles on East London roofs. Now I've been in and out of the Olympic Park hundreds of times and the security process, like going through an Airport, seemed to be pretty thorough including stopping me taking in half an opened bottle of water and I never got through without the LBC microphone being queried! But during this summer the number of people that need searching needs to be multiplied by thousands and having been at other sporting events this year, its seems security guards are normally used to just checking ID. Your names on the list you're allowed in. That isn't good enough for London 2012.

With 12,000 police officers on the streets during the Games, Scotland Yard say they're planning for worse case scenario. But were very quick to deny any links to Olympics for last week's arrests and truth is, maybe we should've expected this, and more pre-emptive arrests to come between now and September.

G4S after admitting "challenges" also told me in a statement "We expect to resolve this soon. At no time was security at the Olympic Park or other venues under threat. Our planning with LOCOG and other security agencies allows for a variety of contingencies which have been tested and refined in the build-up to the Games we are prepared for a variety of situations and circumstances." A spokesman also denied claims anyone would get an AAA pass without a job saying passes to venues are only given by London 2012 once screening and vetting process has been completed and once staff have cleared LOCOG's accreditation requirements. So there is no question of people getting into venues without being cleared I'm told.

The Government and Police have continually said to me their meticulous planning means sport, rather than security, is what people should remember this summer. We'll find out soon if they're right.