Police go to China for Olympic security tips (From Thisisdorset)

Police go to China for Olympic security tips

7:50pm Friday 1st August 2008

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MORE than £8 million could be spent on security in Dorset over the next five years for the 2012 Olympics.

Dorset Police has applied for government grants, including £8,386,700 to boost CCTV, an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system and a computer network to link the cameras.

Chief Constable Martin Baker says security for the games is high on the force's agenda and a team of six officers will be going on a £20,000 trip to China next month for a "fact-finding, planning and liaison" trip to review security at the Beijing games sailing events.

Other police officers from the Metropolitan Police are also travelling to China to review security in preparation for the 2012 games - rumoured to cost an estimated £250,000.

The sailing part of the 2012 Olympics will take place in Weymouth and Portland and a report by the Dorset Police Authority said developing the area's CCTV and ANPR network was a critical area of work and underpins the whole operational planning process'.

An application for £772,200 has been submitted to create a police base for the sailing events.

Other plans in the pipeline include securing funding for an additional assistant chief constable to handle security. Dorset Police has secured £700,000 Olympic funding for this year but no confirmation of future funding has yet been received.

Ministers are expected to consider the full programme for all Olympic security in December.

Chief Supt David Griffiths, of the Dorset Police Olympic planning team, said up to 60 jobs could be created in the run-up to the 2012 games as the force builds up its security operation. He said: "We have to remember that the Olympic games is a fantastic opportunity for the area that has to have a security operation to protect it. My job is to plan for the worst and hope for the best."

Speaking of the trip to China, Chief Supt Griffiths said: "It is our only opportunity to see the size and scale of the Olympic Games before it comes to the waters of Weymouth and Portland."

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