key2thecup Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 First the G4S scandal.... they're poor inadequate training and recruitment, then the fact they are short of enough workers that the MoD had to assign 3000+ UK troops to 'guard' duties... now this. New security fears as Heathrow checks miss terror suspects • Inexperienced airport staff 'missed five alerts in one day' • Fears come after fiasco over G4S Olympic stewarding Inexperienced new recruits, deployed to shorten queues, are repeatedly 'missing' passengers who may need to be referred to counterterrorism officers. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA Terror suspects on the Home Office watch list are entering the UK in the runup to the Olympics without the necessary security checks, according to frontline officials at Heathrow. One senior border officer told the Observer that inexperienced new recruits, deployed to shorten queues after complaints over lengthy waiting times, are repeatedly "missing" passengers of interest who should be referred to counterterrorism officers when they reach passport control. The official said he was personally aware that three terror suspects – all of whose names are registered on the Home Office suspect index system – had been waved through by staff on his shifts since the start of July. Border officials should immediately notify counterterrorism police or MI5 if they suspect that "SX travellers" are attempting to enter the UK. Another colleague alleged that five suspects were "missed" in one day earlier this month. "It's all new faces," said the senior official. "The rest of the staff, I have no idea where they have come from, how long they are here for, what their background is. These are people who have been forced by their own department to come here." The crisis comes days after G4S, the world's biggest security firm, announced it could not provide enough security guards for the London Olympics, forcing the government to call up 3,500 troops to meet the shortfall. Last month John Evans, head of MI5, said the Games offered an "attractive target for our enemies, and they will be at the centre of the world's attention". The intelligence and security committee also warned that the Olympics had diverted MI5, MI6 and GCHQ from other potential threats to Britain, citing the "vulnerability of the UK at this critical period". It identified potential sources of threat including al-Qaida and its affiliates planning an attack on the Games or participants, especially US or Israeli nationals, and also the possible threat from republican dissident terrorist groups. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the UK Border Agency official said: "How many other misses have occurred? The missing of counterterrorism 'hits' is a huge thing, but new recruits are not getting enough time to be taught. "It is vital these people do not get in without being noted and that the information is passed to the police or security services. Once they're in, you've no idea where they might be going." Many of those drafted in to help cope with border staffing shortages before the Olympics are individuals who have been working elsewhere in the Home Office and have received only basic training to work on airport passport desks. Some have had only a day's training instead of the standard six to eight weeks. The revelations of lax practice are particularly alarming, coming ahead of pre-Olympic week during which the vast majority of athletes, media and officials will arrive. On 25 July – the day when traffic through Heathrow airport is expected to be most intense – the staffing roster shows, according to union sources, that more than half the employees on duty are from relief staff. It is understood that counterterrorism police at Heathrow are urgently seeking a meeting with senior UKBA management over the missed alerts. Mark Reckless MP, a Tory member of the home affairs select committee, said: "I know the home secretary would be extremely concerned if the warning index checks were being missed." Chris Hobbs, a retired police officer who spent more than a third of his service working at Heathrow, Gatwick and in Jamaican airports, said: "Missing passengers who were the subject of security alerts was an extremely rare occurrence. The fact that it appears to be becoming a regular event shows that border controls have all but imploded." Underlining the inexperience of some of the officials now manning UK borders, a UKBA document recently distributed to staff reassured new recruits that if they did make a mistake their lack of training would be considered. The document states: "In the event of making a mistake the full circumstances will be carefully considered, including the extent of your training and experience." Paul O'Connor, Home Office national manager for the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: "Theresa May said she would not compromise border security but you need properly staffed control points with fully trained border officers. They are playing fast and loose with border control." Last Thursday, the chief inspector of borders and immigration, John Vine, said following an inspection of Heathrow's Terminals 3 and 4, temporary staff were found to process passengers slower and ask fewer "probing" questions, satisfying neither the need to deal with lengthy queues or security concerns. A border force spokesman said: "All staff being deployed will have the necessary security clearance and will have received the training required to operate effectively. Contingency staff will only be carrying out tasks for which they have been fully trained. "Contingency staff will operate individually, but are supported by experienced border force officers at all times. If they have any concerns or questions they are told to escalate those concerns immediately." http://www.guardian....terror-suspects Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drybone Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 This was a great read. Long but its amazing how complicated the process is and all the pitfalls they may have. I appreciate your efforts to get the info. I am excited about this years team, and especially cant wait for the Tennis !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Don't worry they have this guy to fall back on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyJoeJoeJr. Shabadoo Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 You know where else they have problems with airport security? Everywhere suspected terrorists boarded planes for Heathrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newsflash Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 They deserve to be embarrassed somewhat. Remember all the BS the London media was spouting about our Olympics in 2010 to make themselves look good? Ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 They deserve to be embarrassed somewhat. Remember all the BS the London media was spouting about our Olympics in 2010 to make themselves look good? Ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucks since 77 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Egg, meet face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trek Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 to top it all off, it seems like it's going to keep raining over there too lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefCon1 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 First the G4S scandal.... they're poor inadequate training and recruitment, then the fact they are short of enough workers that the MoD had to assign 3000+ UK troops to 'guard' duties... now this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefCon1 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Egg, meet face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haikara Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 They took a hat too big for their head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Evil Twin Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Britain flooded with 'brand police' to protect sponsors Olympic security is in disarray, but organisers are taking no chances with corporate deals... Hundreds of uniformed Olympics officers will begin touring the country today enforcing sponsors' multimillion-pound marketing deals, in a highly organised mission that contrasts with the scramble to find enough staff to secure Olympic sites. Almost 300 enforcement officers will be seen across the country checking firms to ensure they are not staging "ambush marketing" or illegally associating themselves with the Games at the expense of official sponsors such as Adidas, McDonald's, Coca-Cola and BP. The clampdown goes on while 3,500 soldiers on leave are brought in to bail out the security firm G4S which admitted it could not supply the numbers of security staff it had promised. Yesterday, the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, refused to rule out that even more soldiers may be called upon to help with security, but dismissed the issue as merely a "hitch". However, as well as the regular Army, the Olympic "brand army" will start its work with a vengeance today. Wearing purple caps and tops, the experts in trading and advertising working for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) are heading the biggest brand protection operation staged in the UK. Under legislation specially introduced for the London Games, they have the right to enter shops and offices and bring court action with fines of up to £20,000. Olympics organisers have warned businesses that during London 2012 their advertising should not include a list of banned words, including "gold", "silver" and "bronze", "summer", "sponsors" and "London". Publicans have been advised that blackboards advertising live TV coverage must not refer to beer brands or brewers without an Olympics deal, while caterers and restaurateurs have been told not to advertise dishes that could be construed as having an association with the event. At the 40 Olympics venues, 800 retailers have been banned from serving chips to avoid infringing fast-food rights secured by McDonald's. Marina Palomba, for the McCann Worldgroup agency in London, described the rules as "the most draconian law in advance of an Olympic Games ever". The ODA and Locog (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) say the rules are necessary to protect brands. "These rights are acquired by companies who invest millions of pounds to help support the staging of the Games," Locog said. "People who seek the same benefits for free – by engaging in ambush marketing or producing counterfeit goods – are effectively depriving the Games of revenue." Some £1.4bn of the Games' £11.4bn budget comes from private sector sponsors. The International Olympic Committee's 11 global partners, including Coca-Cola, Visa and Proctor & Gamble, are contributing £700m while £700m comes from London 2012 partners, including Adidas, BT, EDF, and Lloyds TSB. The scale of the brand enforcement squad is nonetheless likely to intensify criticism that the Olympics has become too corporate. Paul Jordan, an expert in brand protection at Bristows solicitors who advises firms on the rules, said they were almost certainly tougher than at previous Olympics. "No other brands would have people walking the streets being their eyes and ears, protecting their interests," he said. A spokesman for the Olympic Delivery Authority, whose team of 286 enforcement officers have been seconded from 30 local councils, said it had a duty to ensure businesses were meeting the rules. "We are using experienced local authority staff who currently enforce street trading and advertising legislation. They have all been fully trained," the spokesman said. "Deliberate ambush offences will be dealt with using the full enforcement powers conferred on officers." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britain-flooded-with-brand-police-to-protect-sponsors-7945436.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobble Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Has any host country ever held the Olympics without troubles?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeyfan87 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174034/London-2012-Olympics-10-room-1-shower-75-people-Inside-slum-camp-Olympic-cleaners.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newsflash Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Published 16 February 2010. Since being handed the Olympic torch by Arnold Schwarzenegger last Friday, London 2012 chairman Seb Coe has had plenty to ponder as Vancouver's Winter Olympics fights a daily battle to shed its "troubled" tag. Some of the issues that have plagued the games' organisers – such as the warm weather that led to convoys of lorries ferrying snow from higher ground and prompted refunds for 8,000 spectators – have been (largely) out of their hands. Others, such as the glitches that beset the opening ceremony, the home team's brazen mission statement to "own the podium", and the creaky transport system, have not. And then there is the furious debate surrounding the death in training of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. The repercussions for both Vancouver and the International Olympic Committee could be severe. Estimates put the cost of the games at CAN$6bn (£3.6bn), and the race to host the 2018 edition features just three bidders, the lowest number since 1988. The host broadcaster, NBC, stands to lose $200m on televising these games, so future sponsorship could suffer. The twin spectres of the Montreal Olympics of 1976 and the 1996 Atlanta games hang over Vancouver. Montreal was left bankrupt, facing financial repercussions that lasted three decades. The Atlanta games, often cited as the worst in history, are remembered for a bomb attack, compounded by a host of other logistical problems. Things are not quite that bad yet. But while London 2012 organisers insist they are planning for every eventuality, what they have seen in Vancouver will surely have made them redouble those efforts. http://www.guardian....couver-olympics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Common sense Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Published 16 February 2010. Oh god my sides! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Forget everything else, if the weather keeps up the other problems will look like nothing at all. Apparently the beach volleyball courts look more like a mud pit right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Vancouver 2010, best Olympics of all the time. Enough said, stop trying to duplicate it world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Evil Twin Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Looks like America's Security Theater troupe/Molestation brigade will be making its way to London. TSA agents to staff UK airports during Olympics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drybone Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Looks like America's Security Theater troupe/Molestation brigade will be making its way to London. TSA agents to staff UK airports during Olympics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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