Thursday, February 18, 2010

Security Beefs up for FIFA World Cup


South Africa has successfully delivered close to 150 major sporting events, including the FIFA Confederations Cup and the Indian Premier League last year, with no major incidents. However the 2010 FIFA World Cup is a far larger affair and in response to this, the SAPS has increased their capacity, having now taken delivery of 665 million rand worth of new equipment. This includes six helicopters, ten mobile command vehicles, 100 high performance vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, body armour and water cannons.

Besides the investment in equipment, the SAPS have also recruited 55,000 new police officers over the last five years. This force will be complemented with an additional 41,000 officers who have gained invaluable experience in handling major sports tournaments. These security forces will be charged with border control, route security, city security, stadium security and crowd management during the tournament.
For the full article on fifa.com, click here.