Brazil to handle all 2016 Olympics security publicly

The Brazilian State will take care of all security in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. But unlike what happened in the 2014 World Cup, when the internal security at game venues was managed by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) by hiring a private security provider, this time it will involve all three government levels – local, state, and federal.

The agreement between the government and the Local Organizing Committee was announced on Wednesday (Mar. 4), following the first meeting of the State Public Security and Emergency Management Committee on the 2016 Olympics with 43 representatives from over 20 organizations.

According to Andrei Rodrigues, Extraordinary Security Secretary of the Ministry of Justice for Large-Scale Events, who chairs the committee, the government expects to reduce costs by entirely undertaking the mission instead of hiring private security support. The Organizing Committee estimates about 15,000 personnel will be required at a cost of $77 million.

Rodrigues further explained that the model to be adopted still needs to be discussed, and a workgroup will be set up to inspect “all 159 [competition event] venues, and the calendar of events, competitions, training, participating athletes, and the expected turnout for each event.” “There are several factors that we need to consider before we choose the most suitable approach to ensure security at all locations,” he went on.

According to him, the general security model will be the same as was used for the 2014 World Cup, which included investment in infrastructure and integrated operation of all forces. It will be deployed right from the test events, such as the world triathlon and paratriathlon qualifiers which will take place on Copacabana Beach on August 1 and 2.

Translated by Mayra Borges