Dorset Police has been working together
with the Royal Navy to test security arrangements and systems in
advance of the Olympic Games this summer.
Royal Navy ship HMS Bulwark spent five days in the water off
Weymouth and Portland from Monday, 30 April 2012 as part of a
security testing exercise.
Dorset is the largest Olympic and Paralympic
venue outside of London and hosts the only other full time Olympic
Village.
Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Whiting is
leading the Games safety and security operation in Dorset. He said:
“This summer will see the ultimate celebration of sport and we are
working with partners to ensure a safe and secure Games in
Dorset.
“Our role includes supporting the organisers
and athletes by ensuring the fields of play on the water are safe
and secure – an area of approximately 50 square miles. To do this,
we will use small watercraft, including rigid hull inflatable boats
(RHIBs) and personal watercraft (jet skis), as well as launches
crewed by Dorset officers and marine police officers from other
forces around the country.
“In partnership with the Royal Navy, Dorset
Police will have access to the widest range of maritime
capabilities and expertise.”
The Olympic safety and security operation in
Dorset is supported by all three Services – Royal Navy, Army and
Royal Air Force – as well as local authority and emergency service
partners, particularly through the Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole
Local Resilience Forum. The military support is a fundamental
aspect of safety & security operations on land and in the air,
as well as this aspect on the water.
HMS Bulwark will return to Weymouth and
Portland in July for the Games and will be used by Dorset Police as
a command base during the Olympic and Paralympic Windsurfing and
Sailing events.