Games with frontiers

Manchester 2002 – organisers of the Games – have publicly stated that they wish to host a trouble-free event, but with the world still reeling from the after-effects of September 11 how friendly can a sporting spectacle of such magnitude really be? Not surprisingly, security is at the top of the organisational agenda.

Preparations for the Games began some years ago, not only to ensure that the necessary infrastructures would be built in good time, but also so that the very best expertise could be brought into play and the myriad of security issues resolved before the first javelin has been thrown or the first sprint race won.

Thorough homework has seen various representatives from Greater Manchester Police and Manchester 2002 paying visits to the venues of past world sports events, including the Olympic venues in Sydney and those constructed for the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

In addition, the military has been brought in to consult on issues of national security, particularly in light of recent events Stateside.

Not surprisingly, a considerable amount of money has been invested in the Games. At the last count, the Government, Sport England and Manchester City Council had together allocated over £200 million to build the necessary facilities and help regenerate those areas of the inner city suffering most from the continued effects of social deprivation. East Manchester in particular is the focus of a range of regeneration initiatives which will see in excess of £90 million of public funding committed to addressing many of the physical, economic and social problems of the area.

Sport England – the national sports development agency – has made the biggest investment to help Manchester, with no less than £135 million of National Lottery monies allocated to provide world class facilities. These include Sport City – incorporating the main City of Manchester athletics stadium and facilities for tennis, squash and table tennis – the Manchester Aquatics Centre (built at a cost of £32 million), Bolton Arena, the cycling track at Manchester Velodrome and Bisley's specialist National Shooting Centre in Surrey.

The 38,000-seater City of Manchester stadium in East Manchester – which will host both the athletics events and the Rugby Sevens – cost a cool £77 million to build, but is destined to provide a lasting legacy to the city. When the athletes have gone their separate ways, the arena will become the new home of Manchester City Football Club. A club that has just returned to the Barclaycard Premiership after many years in the footballing wilderness.

With so much at stake, then, ensuring a safe and secure Commonwealth Games free from terrorist attacks – and the many hoax threats that are expected – is in everyone's best interests. Superintendent Dave Thompson of the Greater Manchester Police, the man in charge of policing East Manchester, believes the Games will prove to be a major boost for the city as a whole.

"There has been a huge amount of work done to regenerate East Manchester," said Thompson. "Not just aimed at delivering the Commonwealth Games, but with a view to the longer term as well. For our part, we've been working closely with Manchester 2002's representatives to ensure that all who come to the city enjoy the Games, and don't become embroiled in a security nightmare."

Creating a sterile site
The main City of Manchester Stadium is the major focus of the Games, and is to be central to all police and security operations. "There will be 'mag-and-bag' security at the stadium, akin to that at an airport," suggested Thompson. "We are creating a sterile site with metal detectors and baggage searches. There'll also be a high degree of access control. If you don't have a ticket or are not accredited, then you're not getting in. It's as simple as that."

Superintendent Thompson believes that the UK boasts some of the best expertise in the world when it comes to securing an event like this one. "While our fact-finding missions to Sydney and Kuala Lumpur offered some insight into the issues we needed to address, many of the techniques employed are not transferable to Manchester," he said. "For example, Sport City is a unique venue built specifically for the Games. A bespoke security blueprint always had to be central to the plans."

Superintendent Thompson added: "Of course, the UK plays host to many high profile events that demand considerable degrees of security, including the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and the Grand National at Aintree. The annual party political conferences are another good example. Every other Saturday we have to police Manchester United matches at Old Trafford, too, so we're well versed in working to high levels of security."

The UK also leads many other nations in that it has a defined policy for running sporting events. The 'Green Guide' is a set of Government-drafted standards which sets out how large sporting events should be staged, covering such issues as safe spectator capacities, sports ground safety, stewarding, ingress and egress procedures, barriers, seating and terracing, disabled facilities, fire safety and communications. A document that very few other countries can match.

While our fact-finding missions to Sydney and Kuala Lumpur offered some insight into the issues we needed to address, a bespoke security blueprint always had to be central to our plans

Superintendent Dave Thompson, GMP

Watching over the Games
ADT Fire and Security has installed 54 state-of-the-art Pelco cameras in the main stadium, plus a further 19 to cover the car parks. The cameras boast a 26:1 zoom capability, meaning that they're able to provide full screen images to aid the police with personal identifications. There are six cameras installed on the roof of the stadium which, between them, will be able to zoom in on every single person present. You can't ask for much more than that.

ADT has also installed intruder and fire alarms, an access control system and emergency telephone network, and has won the £1.2 million contract to help transform the stadium into the new home of Manchester City FC once the Games have concluded. That particular project will entail the installation of cashless vending systems to allow access to the stadium by fans using a card that they update away from the ground – thereby removing the club's problem of having to handle too much cash on site on match days.

While the Greater Manchester Police will be in charge of policing public areas, protecting the athletes/VIPs and emergency scenario planning, the role of providing security and crowd control manpower at the various venues has been placed in the hands of Showsec International. Part of the International Crowd Management and Security Group, Showsec is Europe's largest events crowd management specialist, having worked on many high profile events including the Royal Military Tattoo back in 2000.

Bernard Ainsworth, chief operating officer at Showsec International, said: "The way in which spectators are taken care of at the Games is important, as it will help shape their lasting impressions of the event."

Showsec is fortunate in that the company already runs contracts in the Manchester area and is well-established across the city, thus there is a settled network of experienced stewards to call upon.

Mark Harding – Showsec's operational director with responsibility for overseeing the whole event – states that all staff will be given additional security training as well as training specifically geared to the Games.

"All staff in key positions will have some five years'-plus experience to ensure the highest possible levels of security," commented Harding. "Each of them will be detailed to look after a network of officers, trickling down to a web of volunteers who will also benefit from a degree of training – including familiarisation trips to the venues and first-hand experience on how to handle alarm codes and cope with emergencies."

Showsec has worked alongside Greater Manchester Police and Manchester 2002 to examine the associated health and safety issues. The ultimate aim? A streamlined approach to security with the emphasis on risk assessment and prevention. Each venue has been assessed for potential vulnerabilities, and any resultant issues addressed.

Recently, there were reports of a potential security risk at Sport City involving the storm drains. Children had been seen climbing into the under-site drainage system. An extensive investigation has seen the drains covered with protective meshing.

Risk assessment procedures have been carried out at all those areas surrounding Sport City, including the nearby chemical factories and a Mercedes dealership. Greater Manchester Police has been involved here, with a view to reducing accident risks and any possibility of vehicle-born terrorism. The attention to detail has been so great that meetings have even been held with the local Council to discuss such issues as where plant tubs may be sited! Nothing is being left to chance. And rightly so.

With terrorism very much in mind...
Superintendent Thompson believes that the threat of a terrorist attack is relatively low. "We're certainly not resting on our laurels, though," he added. "We will continue to be vigilant, not least because of the threat of hoax calls." Ever since the Munich Olympics of 1972, when the Israeli athletes were taken hostage by Arab extremists and murdered in the Athletes' Village, security for competitors at all major events has taken on a new significance. In this respect, the XVII Commonwealth Games will be no different.

No-one will be allowed entry to any of the venues without proper and full accreditation, and we’ll be strictly enforcing search procedures at all entry and exit points

Superintendent Andy Holt, GMP

The student accommodation at Manchester Metropolitan University – which will form this year's Athletes' Village – has undergone some serious improvements in order to prepare the buildings for the influx of high profile athletes. A temporary perimeter fencing system has been erected around the site, and the perimeter will be patrolled by security officers on a round-the-clock basis. CCTV has also been installed throughout the campus.

Greater Manchester Police superintendent Andy Holt has been entrusted with securing the Athletes' Village, and is well aware that athletes can be a prime target for thieves and terrorists alike. "Although we don't think there'll be a serious threat at the Games, it would be foolish if we didn't work every possible scenario through and take the relevant precautions," he said. That scenario spans everything from the stealing of basic equipment through to rape.

"No-one will be allowed onto the campus without proper accreditation, and we'll be strictly enforcing full search procedures at all entry and exit points," added Holt. "There'll also be a permanent police presence in the Athletes' Village, with at least six officers on duty 24-hours per day, seven days per week."

In terms of sheer numbers of police being present in Manchester during the Games, Superintendent Holt stresses that he's having to draft in an additional 200 officers on each day of the Games to meet demand. On a busy day in the Sport City stadium, there'll be in excess of 800 officers on duty.

In order to fund this additional burden, the Greater Manchester Police has been given £5 million by the Home Office. Manchester 2002 has also made some funding available.

The Games in the South
Of course it's not just Manchester that's being affected by the Games. The National Shooting Centre at Bisley in Surrey boasts world class facilities including a satellite village for both athletes and officials. Assisted by £6 million worth of funding courtesy of Sport England, Bisley will shortly become the only venue in the world that can cater for all Olympic and full-bore rifle disciplines on one site.

The UK Government has recognised that the handgun ban would end competitive target shooting with handguns in the UK. However, because of the importance of major international sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games, Westminster made a commitment to consider favourably any request to allow the pistol shooting events to take place at the Games. Hence the Government is honouring that commitment.

Commenting on the magnitude of security arrangements for the Games, British Security Industry Association chief executive David Dickinson told SMT: "As with major Government conferences, an event of this significance provides an ideal opportunity for both public and private sector security providers to work together for the common good." Particularly important in view of Home Secretary David Blunkett's plans for an extended police family. One in which the private security industry can play a full and enriching role once regulated and licensed.

How well will the security work?
At the present time representatives from Manchester 2002 are reticent to go into fulsome detail about all their security plans. Not to worry, though, as a full-scale evaluation of how the provisions worked in reality will be published in a forthcoming edition of Security Management Today.