SPORTS

Cricket World Cup security plan tested in St Lucia

By Shervon Alfred
Caribbean Net News St Lucia Correspondent
Email: shervon@caribbeannetnews.com

Tuesday,  February 28, 2006

CASTRIES, St Lucia: Regional security officers say their biggest challenge ahead of Cricket World Cup 2007 is a lack of equipment.
Officers from the Regional Security System (RSS) have tested St Lucia’s security plan for next year’s tournament.

However, the head of the exercise, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, said the regional defense unit is itself facing “a shortage of equipment which… has to be addressed by the various governments.”

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic wouldn’t specify the sort of equipment required for security reasons, but he is hopeful that they will be obtained by 2007.
In the meantime, he said, “We are doing everything that we can at this point in time with what we have.”

The World Cup is cricket’s biggest tournament and organizers say they expect approximately 100,000 visitors to flock to the region for the March – April 2007 event.

Keeping everyone safe “is the biggest concern we have,” said St Lucian Police Commissioner Ausbert Regis.

“The potential of persons using this exercise to advance negative aspects of their own agenda is very real,” he said.

135 members of the Regional Security System were in St Lucia for a Unity Exercise (UNEX).

The officers engaged in a series of simulation exercises, ranging from a possible terrorist attack to a mass casualty situation.

Their aim was to assess St Lucia’s ability to respond to a major emergency situation during the 2007 tournament.

“It is just to give us an opportunity to train together, so that we can exercise a greater level of efficiency come 2007,” Commissioner Ausbert Regis said

According to Lt. Col. Bostic, each island has its own security plan for the World Cup, separate to that of the RSS.

The role of the RSS, he said, would be to provide support to member states upon request.

Although it’s the first time the Caribbean is hosting such a grand tournament, Lt. Col Bostic says he remains confident that the Caribbean will be able to rise to the occasion.

Back...