Antigua & Barbuda’s Commissioner of Police, Delano Christopher, has reiterated the importance of all security agencies throughout the Caribbean sharing information and cooperating with each other during ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
Addressing the opening of ICC CWC 2007 Security Directorate VII in the twin-island country yesterday (Monday July 17), she noted that such unity would be critical in ensuring that all who attend the seven-week tournament in the region are safe.
“All of us across the region are working as a team and not in isolation. (If) anything negative happens in one Host Venue it will impact on the region and not just that Host Venue. The stronger ones (countries) will assist the weaker ones, so that the region as a whole will come out with flying colours,” said Christopher.
The police chief also stressed the importance and urgency of the Security Directorate’s work, stating that “ICC CWC 2007 is just a few days away and time is ticking by fast”.
“It is important that such meetings are held with the various agencies so we all know where we are going and how the roles of the various agencies interrelate. Therefore, when Match Day arrives, our roles can be executed effectively and efficiently,” she told the gathering of ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc. officials and security personnel from across the Caribbean.
CEO of the Antigua & Barbuda Local Organising Committee (LOC) George Goodwin Jr hailed the Directorate meeting as a historic one as it was the first time that LOC CEOs and regional Commissioners of Police were meeting in such a forum.
“These sessions are an opportunity for us to meet, update each other as we plan and deliver this tournament. We can identify roles and responsibilities and clearly define reporting channels,” he added.
“Security by its very nature and activity, with its sensitivities, carries the possibility of information disconnect, especially with those who are not directly involved. While it is necessary to maintain these sensitivities we need to ensure that in the planning that the various compartments for CWC 2007 mould into a coherent whole. This morning’s (yesterday) meeting between the CEOs and the Commissioners of Police provides such an opportunity and we must exploit it and seek to arrive at practical solutions for the problems and issues that we collectively face.”
Goodwin noted that, following the euphoric high of matches being awarded to the nine Host Venues two years ago, the reality of planning the world-class Event has been challenging organisers “to come up with practical solutions” to various issues.
In his brief remarks, ICC CWC 2007 Managing Director & CEO Chris Dehring pointed to the increasing international focus on the cricketing showpiece as evidence of how quickly it is approaching. The scrutiny must be withstood, he added.
“This thing is happening. We know this because the international media had been focusing on our stadia – whether or not we will be ready in time. Now, they are concentrating on our operational procedures.
“We have to bare our souls and come up with solutions. We have challenges and we need to face them. I was fortunate enough to participate in operations meetings with the organisers of Germany 2006 and FIFA. The greatest lesson (for me) was a sense of comfort that we are on the right road, many of their meetings sounded just like our operations meetings. Some of the problems they face, we face. I came away reinvigorated,” stated Dehring, recounting his experience at the recent FIFA World Cup.
The seventh meeting of the ICC CWC 2007 Security Directorate ends today.
