A full review of security at the Olympic Winter Games was made
here on Monday and a number of adjustments were made based on the
experience of the event's first days.
Security was reviewed at a meeting attended by Turin Prefect
Goffredo Sottile, Police Chief Rodolfo Poli and the provincial
commanders for the Carabinieri police, Angelo Agovino, Finance
Guard, Claudio Peciccia, and Forestry Service, Renzo Morolla.
Also on hand were the director general and chairman of the
Torino 2006 Organizing Committee (TOROC) Cesare Vaciago and
Valentino Castellani.
Security for the opening ceremonies on Friday and the first days
of events has already been praised by both the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) and TOROC.
The adjustments to security made on Monday focused mainly on
surveillance and controls in specific areas in order to make them
more efficient, the prefect's office said.
After the meeting, Sottile went off for an inspection of
security at the Olympic mountain sites, the office added.
Security is a top priority because of the worldwide resonance of
the Games and its proximity to the Italian general elections,
scheduled two months after the event, the Italian interior ministry
said several days ago.
A total of 15,000 people are protecting the Games, according to
Italian Interior Minister Pisanu.
Some 2,500 soldiers, about 1,000 of them from anti-aircraft
artillery regiments, will help the police ward off potential
threats.
Many of the soldiers are already patrolling and protecting the
Olympic sites.
(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2006)