Police are gearing up for the extensive security operation
The bunting is being strung up, coronation quiches prepared and — up and down the country — thousands of street parties planned.
Behind the scenes in the capital, a huge security and logistical operation is advancing as police chiefs and transport bosses prepare for the biggest state event since the funeral of the late Queen.
The security operation, known as Golden Orb, is not as big as Operation London Bridge, the funeral plan for Queen Elizabeth, because the site map for the coronation is much smaller and focused on Westminster Abbey. However, it still requires a vast amount of resources and meticulous planning.
Westminster Abbey will be a focus for security teams on Saturday
Security before the day
A vetting and pre-emptive security operation has been under way for weeks. The Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, a joint police and mental health unit, has been vetting royal obsessives to try to identify anyone who poses a risk. Anyone who could present a threat is visited by mental health workers who engage with them, while any fixated individuals who travel to the capital during the coronation period will be subjected to “close monitoring”, with officers assigned to follow them around.
Metropolitan Police officers are also expected to visit convicted terrorists and warn them to avoid the public celebrations, a strategy that was deployed at the Queen’s funeral in September.
Environmental protest groups have been increasing their activities and police will use intelligence on the most active demonstrators to put measures in place to prevent disruption.
Police are expected to scour social media for intelligence and will make pre-emptive arrests of troublemakers. It emerged this year that the number of fanatics believed to pose a risk to the royals and other VIPs had doubled since 2014, with officers monitoring more than 200 people.
Security on the day
Snipers will be back on rooftops, plainclothes police will roam through crowds and hundreds of officers from all over the country will line the route towards Westminster Abbey.
There will be a close protection security operation and barriers to stop vehicles being driven into crowds. Motorcycle escort riders, dog teams and the marine unit are among the other specialists involved.
Simon Morgan, a former Met personal protection officer for the late Queen and other members of the royal family, said that it would be a huge security operation. “Golden Orb has been on the planning table for some time, running parallel with London Bridge,” he said. “Despite the King saying it’s going to be a scaled down affair from his point of view — not so long, not so many people — that doesn’t really impact on the size of the policing operation.
“Senior members of the British royal family, royals across the world, key government figures and heads of state. They’re all still coming and the policing plan has to reflect that.”
Source: The Times
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