London 2012: Are We Safe?

by Robin Wijnhold

More than 14,000 athletes will be arriving to compete in the London Olympic Games in 2012, attracting an expected 10 million sports enthusiasts to the city to cheer them on.

To ensure safety and security for those attending, the Home Office earmarked a budget of £600m, of which around £60m has already been spent.

With the national terrorism threat set at “severe”, a reserve of £238m can be drawn on should the terror threat level rise, or a serious security incident require more funding.

The last audit and review of the Olympic and Paralympic Safety and Security Strategy, published six months ago, concluded that planning is on track and “the work done to date has established an effective base for Games safety and security operations”.

‘Severe’ national terrorism threat

As the Metropolitan Police prepare for what they call “the UK’s largest peace-time policing operation ever undertaken”, an estimated 9,000 officers will be on duty during the busiest days, overseeing the Games’ safety and security while continuing to provide a business-as-usual service around the rest of London. Officers across the UK will provide additional policing, with altered work schedules and cancelled holidays put in place to prevent staff shortages.

A Home Office spokesman, said: “We face a real and serious threat from terrorism. The overall threat level from international terrorism, set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre in London, reflects that an attack is highly likely.

“While the threat level has not changed since January 2010, and is kept under review in the light of all available information, there is a continuing need for everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.”