MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ORDER
PRESS OFFICE
Athens, July 29, 2004
The Minister of Public Order, Georgios Voulgarakis, within the framework of the “lock down” process of the Olympic Venues of the Canoe-Kayak Slalom in the Helliniko Olympic Sports Complex, which was held today (29-07-04), stated that:
“Today you are going to watch the usual “lock down process” of this Olympic Venue, where there will be held five different sports. Today we are going to watch the Canoe-Kayak, as the rest have already been handed over and locked down. Therefore, it is a process followed in all venues, which were handed over and guarded by the Hellenic Police and consists in the complete inspection and “cleaning up” of the venues.
As you will see, there are trained police dogs, which look for explosives. There are observers, too. In a while, you will see frogmen and divers, who are going to inspect every place where there is water. Later, you will see others who are going to enter into the sewers. The latter exist to the benefit of the venues but they have to be inspected as well. Finally all venues are going to be cleaned. After following this process, the venues are handed over to the Hellenic Police, are locked down and then guarded.
Since it is under police surveillance, entrance is only allowed to the holders of accreditation or tickets. Tomorrow we expect the first athletes to visit the venues and everything will be working properly. I mean that the major part of the lock down process of the venues has finished and within the following week the whole process will have been completed. Consequently, all venues will have been handed over and will be ready to use. I should also stress out that, a significant part of those already locked down, are already in use or will be used in the near future for the purpose of trainings. Some athletes are already in Greece.
Last week, you attended a demonstration of the C4I system and you will have the opportunity to assist in another one within the following week. All police officers will be placed to their respective name registered positions and they will be provided with accreditation. So, I would like to say that the lock down process, the activation of the C4I system as well as the completion, the inspection and the evaluation of all the operational plans, all these mean that we are in the final stretch before the Games` opening ceremony. As I had pointed out in the past, the Olympic Games have already begun and it is so.
Finally, I wish to say that we are very satisfied because all our plans followed exactly the time schedule. The Hellenic Police, the Armed Forces, the Coast Guard, the Fire Brigade are perfectly coping with them. There are a few days left before the official beginning of the Olympic Games and everything will be working properly.”
For more information,
call: 2106977505
Fax: 210 6929764
e-mail: elasgrty@mopo.gr
