Caribbean to assist with security at Cricket World Cup
4 April 2007
Today National Commissioner Jackie Selebi met with a contingent of South
African Police Service members who are about to depart for the Caribbean to
render operational assistance during the super 8 series, the semi-finals and
the finals of the Cricket World Cup 2007 in Grenada, St Lucia and Barbados.
The South African Police Service has been involved in the security planning
for the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean since June 2006 after the South
African Government agreed that the SAPS, which has internationally recognised
capabilities in securing major events, could be deployed in a support capacity.
Commissioner Selebi, as National Commissioner of the SAPS and as President of
Interpol, has been closely monitoring the planning and deployment process.
Seventy seven members of the security forces will be deployed from 8 to 29
April 2007 and the SAPS team is made up of sixty four members from the elite
Special Task Force and National Intervention Unit as well as bomb disposal
experts, detectives, hostage negotiators, crime scene investigators, explosive
dog handlers and a command and control group under the leadership of Deputy
National Commissioner Andre Pruis. All SAPS members will be wearing their own
uniforms and will operate with their own equipment and firearms, including dogs
and bomb disposal equipment.
The SAPS will be accompanied by a group of members from the South African
National Defence Force made up of personnel from the SANDF Special Forces and
the SANDF 7 Medical Battalion. The SAPS and SANDF will perform general
operational support duties such as the sweeping of venues, airports and
harbours, VIP protection and crowd management. They will also serve as a
reaction force which will deploy in the event of an emergency requiring the
implementation of a contingency plan in Grenada, St Lucia and Barbados.
However, in the event of a high risk emergency, they can also be deployed to
any of the Caribbean countries. The concept of deploying a permanent reaction
force at major events is also under consideration by the SAPS for application
during the Soccer World Cup 2010.
This is not the first time that the South African Police Service has
rendered operational assistance to another country during a major event. When
South Africa hosted the Cricket World Cup in 2003, the SAPS successfully
deployed members in Kenya to assist with security operations. "The South
African Police Service is once again proving that we are a first class policing
agency which is prepared to share our skills and expertise with other countries
and thereby also gain invaluable knowledge and experience," Commissioner Selebi
told the group of excited police officers.
He also told them that he has no doubt that they will fly the South African
flag high and act at all times with the dignity and efficiency that is
associated with their uniforms and badges.
Enquiries:
Sally de Beer
Cell: 082 779 8658
Issued by: South African Police Service
4 April 2007
