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Olympics staff face biometric ID checks
Anna Davis, Evening Standard5 Mar 2008
Staff working on the 2012 Olympic site will only be able to gain access to it via biometric screening.
About 100,000 workers will have to pass through a system that includes palm-print reading and face recognition.
The two-tier biometric system - part of a £354million strategy to secure the Olympic Park during construction - is one of the largest and most expensive security operations to be undertaken on a British project.
Biometric screens are also being considered for the ninemillion spectators as they enter.
It was also revealed today that the policeman in charge of the Games, Met Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, said that up to 500,000 CCTV cameras would be needed to police the site.
Alan Ritchie, general secretary of Ucatt, the main construction union, said: "We do not foresee a problem, providing the Olympic Delivery Authority guarantees that biometric data will not be passed onto any third parties and will be wiped once the project is complete."
The primary concern of the ODA, which has not ruled out sharing biometric data with government agenciesis preventing sabotage of the east London site.
The cost of patrolling the site until 2011 will be more than £100million. It is also estimated that up to 8,000 private security guards will be needed during the Games, at a cost of £30million.
The Met is also awaiting a response from the Home Office about additional resources to cope with the 16,000 athletes and team officials.
Ministers are worried that the security budget could be pushed up by demands unrelated to the Games, having already risen to £1.2 billion from the £200million estimated in the 2005 bid.
Reader views (2)
Half a million CCTV cameras - some mistake surely? For the main 20 acre site (assuming that cameras are not required across each and every potential bit of London involved with the Olympics), that would mean roughly one camera every 10 feet. Where would the power come from - assuming approx 30w each when recording it would need 15Megawatts - or its own grid to power them, the HD recorders, the motors + at least 50,000km of cable! I think 5000 cameras is more likely?
- Gary Parker, amersham, 05/03/2008 12:44
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Do all Londoners get in for free, we are paying for it
- Jimbob, Kensington, 05/03/2008 12:29
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