[IP] London Olympic security in 2012 to track tickets from home

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

________________________________________
From: Gavin Treadgold [gt@kestrel.co.nz]
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2008 10:54 PM
To: David Farber
Subject: London Olympic security in 2012 to track tickets from home

Hi Dave,

For the list - what really struck me in the article is the quote that
they intend to track Olympic tickets from the home to the venues.

> "We will have the most secure secure and transparent ticketing
> system. Tracking technology is being developed - a spectator will be
> tracked from the venue to his or her home with these tickets."

It is not yet apparent how they intend to achieve this, but I'm
wondering if it will be tied to the comprehensive network of
surveillance cameras to be put in place. Perhaps the CCTV's will be
set up to track and report position of RFID tags in the tickets?

Cheers Gavin

Security at the venues is a huge concern for the Games' organisers
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/london_2012/7277918.stm>

Begin forwarded message:

> Security at the venues is a huge concern for the Games' organisers
> The man responsible for policing London 2012 has announced a £600m
> operation to ensure security at the Olympic Games.
>
> Speaking at a conference in Abu Dhabi, Metropolitan Police Assistant
> Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur outlined an unprecedented package of
> measures.
>
> Among those measures are half a million closed-circuit television
> cameras and state-of-the-art ticketing technology.
>
> "Nine million people are likely to watch the Games at various venues
> across Greater London," said Ghaffur.
>
> "There will be 33 venues with more than 500,000 spectators from
> around the world visiting them daily for the 19 days of competition,
> and the Games will be attended by 15,000 athletes and 20,000 media
> representatives."
>
> The safety of competitors and spectators is a huge worry for the
> International Olympic Committee (IOC), particularly after infamous
> terrorist attacks at the Games in Munich in 1972 and Atlanta in 1996.
>
> And with London the victim of terrorist atrocities as recently as
> July 2005, concerns about security in 2012 have been high.
>
> Tracking technology is being developed - a spectator will be tracked
> from the venue to his or her home with these tickets
>
> Tarique Ghaffur, the Met's head of special operations, said the
> security operation would be in place for a 60-day period around the
> Games, and added that the strictest precautions were essential as
> the threat of terrorist attack was at critical and would remain high.
>
> The Met already uses 10,000 CCTV cameras to police London but
> estimates that there are perhaps as many as 500,000 cameras in
> operation in the capital.
>
> A Met spokesperson told BBC London's Adrian Warner that it is hoped
> all these cameras can be used in a coordinated way - and fed into a
> purpose-built command centre - to provide a "soft-touch approach" to
> the police effort "rather than have a police officer on every corner".
>
> Ghaffur also told the international security conference that the
> latest identity-recognition techniques will be used to monitor the
> crowds.
>
> "Another important security feature will be the issue of tickets
> that are linked to the identity of buyers," he said.
>
> "We will have the most secure secure and transparent ticketing
> system. Tracking technology is being developed - a spectator will be
> tracked from the venue to his or her home with these tickets."
>
> Other measures announced by Ghaffur included:
>
> Dividing London into three security zones to help make the
> arrangements more effective
>
> Three helicopters to carry out close surveillance during the Games
>
> An automatic vehicle number plate recognition system
>
> Stringent checks, including biometric fingerprints, for the 40,000-
> strong workforce building the venues.
> The unveiling of the plan comes nine months after a senior London
> police officer accused London 2012's organisers of dragging their
> heels over security at the Games and demanded a "primary voice" for
> the Met.
>
> It should also help assure an IOC inspection team visiting London
> this week that the British authorities are on top of this vital issue.
>
> BBC News By Matt Slater

-------------------------------------------