A local advocacy group questioned the use of security guards for the 2010 Winter Games yesterday as the RCMP held a closed-door bidder’s conference on a major surveillance contract.
On Thurs. morning, companies interested in staffing Games’ venue checkpoints for the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit sent representatives to the 2010 Commerce Centre. The goal of the conference was to provide information on contract requirements and receive input and concerns from bidders.
Because media were not allowed to attend, it’s unknown what took place in the meeting or which companies participated.
But according to the notice for the conference, the successful contractor will “provide security screening personnel at entrance points to Olympic venues in the Vancouver and Whistler areas.” It adds: “Screening of pedestrians as well as goods and material will be conducted using magnetometers, hand search and x-ray.”
Doug King, head of Pivot Legal Society's police campaign, said his group was not aware of yesterday’s conference nor has it been consulted by the ISU, despite its expertise in Downtown Eastside policing issues.
He expressed concern that the private security guards sought by the RCMP will be less accountable to the public than regular police.
“They’re not directly linked to the government,” he said. “If there are issues with the way the security acts, the only recourse is to sue them.”
King added that private guards generally receive less formal training than regular police officers.
“Often times they’re people who aren’t really qualified to be doing this kind of work,” he said. “You’re putting them in a position that makes them believe they’re police officers and inevitably they’re going to overstep their boundaries.”
The value of yesterday’s surveillance contract was not provided on the proposals notice but could be more than $34 million, according to recent reports.
Multiple calls to the ISU were not returned by press time.
Geoff Dembicki is a staff reporter for the Hook.
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