Mary Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 The armed forces have been told to find an extra 3,500 personnel to protect the Olympic Games to cover a shortfall in recruitment by a private security firm just a fortnight before the games open. Very sad that we have to recruit an army so that people can compete and view the Olympics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 Seems the private sector couldn't deliver! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 Seems the private sector couldn't deliver! Surprise, Surprise!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 This is among the first gaffes of these Olympics with time for a lot more. Be interested to see if the transport infrastructure holds up under the strain of all those additional commuters; especially if some security scares are thrown in on top?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 I trust those rocket launchers aren't supplied as part of a PFI agreement - if so we couldn't afford to fire one if we had to! Seeimg how much it cots to change a lightbulb, how much would a missile cost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 Well, aside from all the passengers in the hijacked airliner, quite a lot! According to tonight's news - the additional requirement to up the total number of security staff to 24,000 went up to £286million; this more than doubling of staffing increased the original contract price by nine times. Presumably they will have had penalty clauses in the contract - or will they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Just a thought, but with all this hype about security, it would be just as damaging to the games for nutters to ring in false alarms than for terrorists to plant the real thing. The police have to respond, and this could mean clearing a tube station and stopping trains etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Found this taken from the Guardian • Difficult times, meanwhile, for security specialists G4S. They would like to be able to fully fulfil the Olympic contract and supply the Games with 13,700 guards. But it doesn't look as if they will be able to find the people. Still, it is a whole different situation in parliament, where G4S has plenty of willing hands on the payroll. Yesterday we mentioned its employ of the former home secretary Lord Reid, who intervened most helpfully to raise the issue of ID fraud, something G4S has wheezes to combat. Not to be outdone, the G4S director and former Met commissioner Lord Condon made his own contribution via a question answered in writing on Monday. What is the government's most recent assessment of the impact of the measures taken by the French to inhibit the movement of potential illegal immigrants from the Calais region to Kent, asked the peer. Lord Henley said there has been positive progress in addressing "the challenges of border control". And who is the UK government's "main provider of in-country escorting, overseas repatriation services, and the operator of half the UK's privately run immigration removal centres"? Why, G4S, according to the company document "Protecting National Interests. Strengthening the UK Border Safely and Securely". Who'd have guessed? • So, difficult times for G4S, and the Olympic thing is embarrassing. But there have been better times, as we see from literature boasting of the company's track record in the arena of sport. "Securing the event," it says. "G4S takes centre stage." Soldiers do everything else. Just how many Lords have they on the pay roll? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Lord knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 Think perhaps this is building up to an embarrasing fiasco. Bus drivers getting lost etc. Wonder how carefull the vetting of security staff by G4S has been? Remember, even the Home Office employed illegal immigrants a while back! The Brits just seem incapable of doing big projects/events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 I wouldn't say it was very careful vetting. I understand some of those recruited cannot even speak english. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 Not unsual for the UK these days, but it appears they can't turn up for work either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Watching telly yesterday morning, a local councillor was asked who’s footing the bill for the £30,000 pound a day it cost for the police to make up the shortfall at the hotel in Manchester where the fottie teams were staying. He said the public needn’t worry because it’s not coming from the taxpayer but from the Home Office. Wish I has access to that magic pot of free dosh! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 He said the public needn’t worry because it’s not coming from the taxpayer but from the Home Office I would love to meet the genius who came up with that one, absolutely brilliant way of pulling the wool over the eyes.I have heard some good ones over the years but that not only takes the biscuit but dunks it in the tea without getting it wet. superb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 I wouldn't say it was very careful vetting. I understand some of those recruited cannot even speak english. Maybe a good thing with all the different countries coming over. :grin: :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Presumably they will bill G4S for the £30k per day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Presumably they will bill G4S for the £30k per day? Perhaps they will just deduct it from the £57m "Management fee" that G4S's Buckles expects his company to keep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Presumably they will bill G4S for the £30k per day? Perhaps they will just pay it with some of the £57m "Management fee" that G4S's Buckles expects his company to keep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 G4S hand delivered a card through my letterbox last week saying they had called to read my gas and electric meters. Never had one from them before in all the years we've lived here. They didn't try very hard as I was actually in at the time so if they are not capable enough of knocking or ringing a door bell properly to alert a housholder that they are there are they really capable of securing the Olympics Two days later I got a hand devlivered one from British Gas saying they had called (as normal). Maybe all these missing 'Olympic Security' people have accidentally been given the wrong jobs, or maybe they were being tested for their undercover and stealth like approach skills though That aside it is all rather worrying and this huge olympic security cock up a few weeks before the start makes the UK look damn stupid and totally incapable ... as does the other news report tonight which said there are NO customs staff on the North West ports and that drugs, firearms and the likes are getting through. Hope no terrorists heard that news report Did I mention that the same news broadcast also reported the huge number of unsold tickets which are now coming into circulation (again) for the Olympics depite many thousands of people being dissapointed and unable to buy them in the past ... or the many thousands of tickets they've now withdrawn or had to give away as no-one wants them.... and the fact that the first event at Cardiff? Stadium is so undersold that they are will be closing off half the stadium's area seating ? No I didn't as that's as probably another topic. Saying that who on earth would want to watch women's footy anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artie Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 i may go for three weeks away on my 50ft cruiser while all this rubbish is on --anyone fancy coming i will have you home for wembley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Thanks Artie, but I'm going for an 8 week cruise on my 250 foot "luxury" tanker :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artie Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 may give cleo a call then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Arty, you wouldn't want to be here. Ramadan begins in two days so you wouldn't be able to eat, drink or smoke during the daytime. You wouldn't get anything here and no coffee houses or restaurants open in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Be honest, would you employ a company to handle security that had a logo advertising the 'Gas board' on their vans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted July 18, 2012 Report Share Posted July 18, 2012 Arty, you wouldn't want to be here. Ramadan begins in two days so you wouldn't be able to eat, drink or smoke during the daytime. You wouldn't get anything here and no coffee houses or restaurants open in the day. Why not smoke, surely the dreaded weed is not mentioned in the Koran? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.