 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
Winter Olympics 2006 |
|
Last Updated: February 13, 2006 16:02 GMT
The International SOS Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games site was developed to provide a fast and efficient way to identify areas of increased risk to business travelers and visitors during the Olympic Games, and manage that risk accordingly. For further information, please select from the following categories: International SOS Services
The Torino games will be the 20th iteration of the Winter Olympics and will take place from 10-26 February 2006. While Torino is popularly regarded as the venue for the Winter Olympics, there will actually be two other Olympic villages in Bardonecchia and Sestire. Torino, the capital of the Piedmont region in north-western Italy, has undergone extensive investment in public transportation and other infrastructute projects to facilitate the Games. It is a major industrial centre and is home to one of the country’s biggest automobile manufacturers. Major components of Italy’s aerospace industry are also found in Torino. The most recent census information available puts the current population of the greater Torino metropolitan area at 1.5 million inhabitants. It has an international airport and the city is easily accessible from the rest of Italy’s major cities through all forms of overland travel. There are also well-maintained roadways and tunnels connecting Torino to France and Switzerland. As is the case with all of Italy’s other cities there is some crime in Torino. Commonly reported crimes are usually petty in nature with very few incidents of violent crime. However, crime rates for this city are statistically lower than most other Western European cities. Other important issues concerning the security environment in Torino are the past presence of terrorist elements as well as past activity of anarchists groups in the city. Torino benefits from a well-trained municipal police force and is also the location of several Italian military facilities. Coupled with the central government security components, the local security forces are assessed as capable of reducing the threat to both local citizens and foreign nationals to a high degree. International SOS assesses the overall risk rating for Torino as LOW. back to topSecurity preparations for the Winter Olympic Games in Torino have been ongoing for several years and both the organisers and independent observers have indicated their satisfaction with the arrangements. Reports suggest that in excess of US$100 million has been spent on security planning, staff and infrastructure. Approximately 10,000 police officers have been assigned to the Games, and they are being supported by approximately 2,500 troops from the Italian military. NATO is providing two Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft and arrangements have been made with Swiss authorities to control the regional airspace. In total, combined security forces will be responsible for the security of the Olympic Stadium, three athletes’ villages and the venues for the various sporting events as well as an estimated 1.5 million spectators. The security operation is smaller in scale than for the Summer Olympics as there are far fewer events, athletes and participating nations. Italian security and intelligence services have stated that they received some threats, although they have made repeated statements that there is no evidence of planned terrorist attacks during the Games. Following the publication in European newspapers of cartoons of the Islamic prophet Mohammed, security officials have indicated that even greater vigilance is being exercised, and the security level was raised. Islamic extremists are known to reside and operate in Italy, which also contributes troops to the US-led coalition in Iraq. Following the kidnap of Italian citizens in Iraq last year, a Torino-based Imam was deported to Morocco after making statements in support of the kidnappers and Osama bin Laden. Following the July bombings in London, security planners replaced privately contracted security staff with police officers for personal search duties. Body and bag searches will be in place throughout the Games. Athletes, spectators and officials will be required to pass through metal detectors in order to access many areas. Security has also been markedly increased at Torino’s international airport, with significant investment made in scanning systems for suspect packages and the widespread deployment of sniffer dogs. The creation of a single operations centre for the Games for security coordination will also assist in the event that there is a requirement for incident response. Security sweeps have been carried out at all locations associated with the Games. A small amount of unexploded ordnance from World War II was discovered and removed without incident. back to topThe primary threats for the Games come from petty criminals, pressure groups, anti-globalisation protestors, far-left and anarchist groups and opposition groups to a high-speed rail link. This latter group has already affected the route of the torch being carried to the Olympic Stadium. Crime Like most other highly developed, Western European countries, crime is an important security issue in Italy. However, the overall crime rate is relatively low. Criminals do not specifically target foreign nationals and most visits to Italy occur without incident. However, each year there are reports of crimes being committed against foreign nationals travelling in Italy. The most commonly reported types of crimes committed against foreigners are usually petty in nature. Examples of the types of crimes commonly reported against foreign nationals are: pick pocketing, purse snatching, theft from vehicles, vehicle theft, and residential break-in. The same personal security measures you would practice in other major Western cities are appropriate. Italy has a well-established police and security force. Police response and services throughout Italy are assessed as being adequate to counter the criminal threat and to address the needs of victims in Italy. The Polizia di Stato (state police) and the Carabinieri (military police) are well trained and equipped and are the most common form of police throughout Italy. Certain cities and provinces have municipal or local police who handle day-to-day public safety issues, however this is not uniform throughout Italy. There are also various other agencies dealing with other aspects of Italian law enforcement, but foreign visitors are not likely to require their assistance (postal violations, forestry issues, financial crimes etc. etc). If the services of the lesser known law enforcement agencies are required, either the Polizia di Stato (state police) or the Carabinieri (military police) will facilitate contact with the proper law enforcement agency. Terrorism Italian police and security forces have arrested a number of suspects in Torino on charges of terrorist related activity since 2001. Most recently, Italian security and police forces conducted a series of raids across northern Italy on 18 May 2005. Reports indicate police broke up two suspected terrorist cells operating in Milan and Torino. Three Moroccan men were arrested in Torino and authorities believe the men are connected to the militant group, the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group. The Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group is the terrorist group widely believed to have carried out bombings in Casablanca in May 2003. Police spokesmen indicated both cells operating in Milan and Torino were possibly planning attacks both in Italy and abroad. Several anti-government and anarchist groups maintain a presence in Torino. None of these groups are nearly as active as they once were due to aggressive law enforcement operations by Italian police. Furthermore, there are no indications any of these groups actively target foreign nationals who are travelling to Torino. However, on 26 May 2005, during a series of raids across several Italian cities including Torino, police seized materials associated with a group accused of attacking an Italian tribunal in 2004 and a social services building in 2003. Most of the current anarchist activity in Torino has been reduced to protests and low level acts of vandalism. Pressure Groups There has been ongoing protest activity in the Val di Susa over construction of a high-speed rail line which ultimately prompted the Italian government to meet with local leaders to address the issue. Protestors contend the construction of the rail line in the Val di Susa will damage the local environment. Tens of thousands of people began protesting about the route late last year. The construction site of the proposed 53km tunnel connecting rail stations between Lyon, France, and Torino, Italy draws protestors regularly. The A32 motorway has been blocked in the past. Torch route organisers diverted the caravan carrying the Olympic torch from three cities in Italy’s Susa Valley earlier this week. The caravan was scheduled to go through Susa Bussoleno, Burgone Susa and Condove but demonstrations over the Treno Alta Velocita (TAV) train project gathered along the route shouting anti-TAV slogans. The protestors managed to temporarily block the route but Italian security forces were able to escort the Torch caravan through the protest with little difficulty. back to topRobbery Wallet/Purse Consideration should be given to carrying a ‘robbery wallet/purse’. This is a dummy wallet/purse, which the victim can hand over to a criminal during a robbery. It should satisfy the criminal without the victim losing anything of considerable value. If you are robbed it should be handed over without delay. The real wallet/purse should never be carried in the rear pocket. It is best to carry small amounts of cash in the front pockets so that the real wallet/purse does not need to be brought out in public during cash purchases. The amount of cash carried in the front pockets should be enough for the day’s expected purchases but small enough not to be a major inconvenience if it is pick-pocketed. A robbery wallet/purse should contain the following items: · Enough cash to satisfy a criminal, (approximately USD 50 and some local currency should be sufficient. · Miscellaneous business cards, used bus, train or theatre tickets to give the appearance that it is the real wallet. A robbery wallet/purse should not contain the following items: · Current credit cards. · Your business cards or those of colleagues. · Your accommodation details. · ATM receipts showing bank balances. · Any banking details. · Family photographs. · Passport photographs of yourself. In the Hotel Identify fire fighting equipment and review fire escape procedures. Physically locate the fire escapes on your floor. Use the key chain or equivalent lock to secure your room when sleeping. Confirm visitors using the “spy hole” before opening the door to the hotel room. Maintain a habit of monitoring satellite news services (BBC, CNN) to remain abreast of international events that may affect the local security situation. Avoid loitering in the lobby area or other public areas of the hotel. Ensure that you leave your room key with reception before you leave the hotel each day. Check with hotel staff before departing each day for information relating to planned protests or other activities that may represent a risk to you. back to topThe overall security environment is favourable to foreign nationals travelling to Italy during the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino. The normal, common sense security precautions required for any major Western European city are appropriate for Torino. The Italian government has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to coordinate security operations for large-scale, public events. The funeral of Pope John Paul II and the G8 Summit in 2003 are just two examples in recent years of successful security operations undertaken by the Italian government. While several terrorist organisations are reported to have a presence in northern Italy, Italian law enforcement and counter-terrorism personnel have been successful in mitigating this threat on a number of occasions. The 2006 Olympic Games promises to be a very large and complicated security and logistic operations. However, it is assessed the Italian government, the city of Torino and the Torino Organizing Committee have made adequate preparations to reduce any potential threats to the 2006 Winter Olympics.
|
International SOS has deployed a Crisis Response Group to Torino which will remain in the city throughout the duration of the games. In the event that assistance is required, International SOS members should contact the 24-hour Regional Security Centres in London or Paris on +44 (0) 208 762 8008 (London), or +33 (0) 1 5563 3155 (Paris).