Helicopters will patrol the skies of Beijing to boost security measures for the Games with the citie's first 'copter patrol' taking off next June, a security affair official said yesterday.

 

"The helicopters will make aerial patrol in key populous venues", Liu Shaowu, chief with organizing committee of the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) security department in an interview of the Games official website said,

 

"Besides, Beijing will deploy police in slack suit, scattering around the Olympic venues, financial departments and downtown areas, other than armed ones, and more public security staff and volunteers with professional skills selected from the constabulary universities to ensure Games safety.

 

"We aim at not only ensuring the Olympic Games' security through tightened security measures, but constructing a Games-period peaceful atmosphere, so that people are not likely to see the armed police," Liu said.

 

When asked the top concern of Games' "entrance's security check", Liu explained it as an 'international convention'. "If most of the tickets-holders carry a handbag, that would make entrance ticket-examining run in good order and basically not stagnate the process to enter.

 

He also reminds of audiences should arrive as early as possible ahead of a competition. Olympic Games, as a high-profile international tournament, will embrace an unexpected flowing of spectators by then.

 

Beijing will host more than 20 sports events in the second half of 2007 to test Games' facilities, Games-services, likely state of emergency, with mock security exercises taking place and police officers being stationed at over 100 Olympic venues in preparation for the Games.

 

Behind the scenes, more sophisticated security preparations are under way, involving the training of professional security staff and the implementation of high-tech security apparatus and integrated networking.

 

(China Daily March 6, 2007)