Police costs for 2010 Olympics in the works
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RCMP should know in about two weeks how much security will cost for the 2010 Olympics.
But Canadian taxpayers won’t find out until the B.C. and federal governments give the tab the green light.
“I anticipate we’ll have done our work in the Integrated Security Unit within the next two weeks,” said RCMP Assistant-Commissioner Bud Mercer, the new boss of 2010 security planning, yesterday.
In July, internal RCMP documents said that the $175-million Olympic security budget is well below what is needed.
Increases are necessary because the total number of official and unofficial venues has grown from 20 to more than 100, said a spokesman in July.
Mercer said that, two days into his new job, it’s too early for him to say how much 2010 security will cost.
He said that for the past 60 days, 100 RCMP planners have been “validating” every operational plan.
“Once those plans are all signed off — and we’re just about done that now — those plans will go to our finance folks,” said Mercer.
He said planners are deciding how many police, how many security officers and what kind of equipment are needed at every venue.
“Then you’re talking about hotel rooms, salary dollars, expenses and transportation,” he added. “In that way you attach a dollar number to each plan.”
The total cost will be given to the RCMP’s senior executive committee. Then it goes to the 2010 security committee and two levels of government.
Mercer said the plans are based on a “medium threat” level of security.
“We’re not in control of what happens globally or domestically,” he said.
“So, come winter 2009 — for reasons outside our control — our threat level may be elevated to a higher or lower level.
“The beauty of planning at a medium level is that your operational planning can be ramped up or ramped down and that’s going to affect costs.”
Mercer said that by Games time, between 400 and 500 people will make up the ISU planning staff.
The Olympic bid book estimated in 2002 that 8,500 security personnel would be deployed on any typical Games day with a total of 12,350 being used throughout the Olympics.
