VIDEO surveillance cameras will be empowered with facial recognition technology and drones will support 10,000 police officers, 4500 private security officers and an undisclosed number of ADF personnel at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April next year.
Along with the electronic security technology, it’s certain there will be a serious level of explosives detection and pedestrian and vehicular access control at all entrances, as well as widespread use of barriers and bollards to protect the public from vehicle attacks.
Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation chairman Peter Beattie says there can be no complacency at such a large-scale event.
"We will use the latest (security) technologies and we make no excuse for this," the former Queensland premier told a Melbourne Press Club function recently.
Training of security personnel and law enforcement officers has been extensive.
"The police have been given extra powers which means that if you get on a train in Brisbane, you're heading to the Gold Coast and you've got a backpack, you'll be searched.
"There'll be undercover police on all the trains and they are specifically trained to identify people by way of movements who are likely to be threats.
"When you go to the venues, it'll be like going to the airport – you'll go through all of the security systems. "This (security) will be world-class and it needs to be." ♦
