London Gears up Security Efforts for Olympics

Organizers of the 2012 Olympics in London now admit the biggest threat to the security of the event is from terrorism. But as our London correspondent Tu Yun reports, the organizers are promising security plans have already been designed.

There is less than one and a half years to go until the start of the London Olympics. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, Chris Allison, who's also the national Olympics security coordinator, says the frequency of their security operations is increasing.

"As we get closer and closer to the Games, there's more operation activity taking place from the Olympic Park as we move into more and more of the test events that are going to take place. And there's been quite a bit of publicity and coverage recently the issue of ticketing, the Operation Podium, a funded unit coming out of the 600 million (pounds) that have been made available by the government. In fact the unit has been in operation since June last year, targeting fraud and ticket crime, and most recently targeting ticket touts."

So far 50 arrests have been made in a ticket crackdown by the Operation Podium team. And the maximum penalty for ticket touting, or hoarding, at the London Olympics has been raised from 5,000 pounds to 20,000.But compared with ticket-touting and other issues, Allison says terrorism is the key concern.

"I wouldn't say anything is going to get out of our control. Obviously, the biggest risk to the Games is one from terrorism.

And all of our plans are built on the basis of ensuring that the venues are safe and secure. And people who want to go and watch the best athletes from the world can go and do so in safety and security. Our plans are designed to ensure that the security is there, is visible but is not oppressive."

Allison says during peak days, 12,000 police officers will be deployed nationwide to safeguard security, with roughly three-quarters of those officers in London itself.

Recent reports say mobile phones, along with other items, including liquids in containers bigger than 100 milliliters, umbrellas, horns, and drums will be banned from Olympic venues, with the organizing committee considering them too dangerous.

Ian Johnston is the Director of Security for the London organizing committee.

"In relation to mobile phones, though people will be allowed to take mobile phones in, what we're restricting is the use of them at important events where silence is absolutely critical. A hundred-meters final, as the starter's gun is about to explode, you don't want somebody's mobile phone going on."

Johnston says they're confident London will provide a safe environment for people coming to the next Olympics.

Tu Yun, CRI news, London.