Olympic security G4S concerns

G4S, the security firm given the contract to provide security to the olympics has received close to £300,000,000 for the deal.

However, there is quite a lot of concern over the quality of the security they will be providing-

www.itv.com...

Thousands of new recruits are being trained to operate x-ray machines, search vehicles and stand guard at Olympic venues across the country.

Such is the scale of the operation, the training will continue right up until a few days before the opening ceremony.

But some staff who have worked on the operation have told us they have witnessed security breaches by G4S staff already working at Olympic venues.

They want to be anonymous – but when it comes to vehicle checks for example, one told us

“I have seen on a number of occasions personnel with mirrors walking around the vehicle not actually looking at the mirror’.

It's typical of modern Britain, big private companies are given contracts and cut corners to save money. You would think security for the olympics would be air tight, but the accusations go on-

Another said:

“I’ve seen many many incidents where dogs are being put on vehicles and I know for a fact that the dog can’t find anything."

Among the key claims they make are:

- The cargo areas of lorries and contractors vans have not been adequately searched either by dogs, scanners or other security teams.

- In some instances dogs which were not trained to find explosives have been used to carry out fake searches of vehicles.

- Some assessments of dogs and handlers have been faked, with the handlers told where to direct their dogs to find test explosives.

- Some venues have already complained that G4S staff are not adequately briefed.

It reminds of the companies contracted by the government such as A4E, they make lots of money but the people put into their initiatives do not gain any real experience or worthwhile benefit, but the tax payers money goes to lining the pockets of the companies contracted-

www.redpepper.org.uk...

A4e, a for-profit company entirely dependent for its business on £180 million of government contracts under which it is supposed to help unemployed people get in to work (something which used to be the job of the State), last year paid Harrison £8.6 million in dividends - money directly siphoned from tax-payers

But this cosy arrangement has now gone catastrophically wrong with the arrest of four A4e employees over claims of fraud. It has emerged that, among other allegations, A4e has had to pay back public funds on five occasions after government investigations found irregularities, and that the company made job seekers work in its offices for at least a month for no pay.

It's just more evidence we've been sold out.

en.wikipedia.org...

March of 2006, whistle-blowers employed at Wackenhut released information to the press revealing that the company cheated on an anti-terrorism drill at a US nuclear site. It also performed poorly on another drill at a separate location. The allegations claimed that Wackenhut systematically violated weapons inventory and handling policies and that managers showed new hires spots at the facilities where they could take naps and cut corners during patrols

Why would such a company be given the contract? Do they want something to happen and for security to be unprepared?

In February of 2011, The Guardian reported that G4S guards in the United Kingdom had been repeatedly warned about the use of potentially lethal force on detainees and asylum seekers. Confidential informants and several employees released the information to reporters after G4S' practices allegedly led to the death of Jimmy Mubenga. An internal document urged management to "meet this problem head on before the worst happens" and that G4S was "playing Russian roulette with detainees' lives."[32] The following autumn, the company once again faced allegations of abuse. G4S guards were accused of verbally harassing and intimidating detainees with offensive and racist language

Again, are the people being given the responsibilty of sceurity at such a big event qualifed to do so?

On Jan. 24, 2012, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported that a Wackenhut security guard slept while on the job at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and had also used an unauthorized cellphone while inside the high-security facility. Photographs of the incidents were distributed to the publication, as well as the lab, Wackenhut and the US Department of Energy, which oversees the plant's operations. The facility houses approximately half a ton of Uranium 223, enough for nearly 250 improvised nuclear detonations

Here's something to send chills down your spine and paint a particularly disturbing picture of the future-

www.guardian.co.uk...

As G4S declares on its website: "In more ways than you might realise, G4S is securing your world."

One of the most important areas of growth for G4S has been in the UK's criminal justice system as successive governments "rolled back the state" for private companies to take on previously public services. It opened its first prison in 1997, and now runs six institutions across England. The latest – HMP Oakwood – opened in Wolverhampton in April.

Now G4S has its sights on the UK's police service. Last month, when the 17 members of the West Midlands police authority gathered in the main committee room at police headquarters in Birmingham to discuss the biggest police privatisation deal to date, G4S's bid was near the top of the pile. If the proposals go through, the successful firm could be handed contracts to investigate crimes, carry out forensics and run private "prisoner removal units", as part of a £1.5bn deal that includes Surrey police.

Once you have big business running the show, whose sole purpose is to make money at any cost, that's when we really have rock bottom.

iv got a thread about a reporter that goes under cover to expose the concerns good to see the mainstream news are now reporting it.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by haven123
iv got a thread about a reporter that goes under cover to expose the concerns good to see the mainstream news are now reporting it.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

edit on 27-6-2012 by haven123 because: (no reason given)

Wow nice interview find there

Cheers

oops, replied in the wrong thread

Looks like this was a good and justified expenditure by Government, except..........

" The UK's armed forces are on standby to provide an additional 3,500 troops to help with security at the 2012 London Olympics, the BBC has learned.

It comes amid fears that private contractor G4S would not be able to provide enough trained staff in time. "

Taken from today's BBC homepage and current news. www.bbc.co.uk...

Oh whoops!

Still, another entry on the G4S CV!