Police on ball at World Cup

With 14,000 England fans known to be heading for the three group games in Rustenberg, Cape Town and Johannesburg, a team of 12 UK football policing officers are in South Africa as part of an international policing contingent to assist local authorities during the World Cup tournament.

A member of the team will be based in the international police
co-ordination centre that will be managing security and policing issues for all World Cup matches.

ACPO lead on football, Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt
(pictured front centre), said:“Officers will be deployed in full
uniform and will act as both intelligence gatherers and as
ambassadors.

“These officers are experienced in policing football matches in the UK and will act as a direct link into the South African Police Service to ensure that it’s a safe and enjoyable event for everyone.”

ACC Holt, who is leading the team in South Africa, said police
were not anticipating mass disorder at the event, but warned any fans who were arrested would be dealt with under South African laws.

“The South African police have a fast-track courts system in
place and we will ensure that any of those who get caught up in football-related trouble can also expect to face a football banning order when they return to the UK.”

Police in England and Wales will be stepping up patrols in city
centres to tackle any alcoholrelated disorder as well as to
manage any crowds at big-screen World Cup events.

Following an ACPO study that showed a 30% increase in reports of domestic abuse on England match days during the
2006 World Cup, a national awareness campaign around domestic abuse was launched.

The campaign includes posters showing a blood-stained football
shirt tagged “Strikeher” and calls on people to blow the whistle on domestic abuse. See West Midlands Police campaign poster
below.

Police spotters
The warning of a zero-tolerance approach to football-related violence came from PC Tim Gant, a West Midlands Police officer
who is part of a team of six police spotters drawn from forces
around the UK who will be offering a helping hand and keeping
a close eye on England fans abroad.

The officers, who will operate in uniform and plain clothes, will
act as a vital buffer for the native police force whose tactics in
dealing with football violence are far more robust.

“Let’s get one thing straight, if you’re going out there to watch
England, have a few beers and enjoy yourself, we will be there to help you do it,” said PC Gant.

“If you have a few beers and get involved in any nonsense
around the bars then you can expect to be arrested, either by the South African police or us when you land back in the UK.”

Tim, pictured centre of second row, has worked on the police’s
Blues Football Intelligence Unit team for 12 of his 17 years in the force and wants South Africa 2010 to be remembered for the right reasons.

“I’d love England to win it and for our fans to have a great trouble-free time,” he said.

“Our role will be to protect them and to make sure they don’t get dragged into situations that might have a long-term effect on the rest of their lives.”

The role of the plain-clothed spotter is to identify so-called
fans whose night before the game revolves around beer, confrontation and a fight. The team of spotters will liaise with the South African police to build intelligence and decide what action to take and, where necessary, identify and deal with any hooligans.

Tim said: “It’s strict in South Africa and all fans will have to
have identity papers. So if they are anywhere near trouble we will spot them, find out who they are and either deal with them there or when they return.

“We have a good idea of how England fans tend to act abroad
and where they congregate and will be advising the local police
on what to look out for, with the aim of stopping any disorder before it actually starts.

“We will also be there as a bridge between England supporters
and the local police, giving advice to all parties to ensure the tournament is remembered for all the right reasons. For me, no arrests and no banning orders would be as good a result as England winning the World Cup.”

Message to fans
Minister for Crime Prevention James Brokenshire told England
fans to behave themselves in South Africa.

He said: “It is now ten years since the last major hooligan incident abroad, but the eyes of the world will still be upon England supporters. We want them to be ambassadors for their country.

“With the London Olympics just two years away and an England
World Cup bid on the table, I want the fans to do their country
proud.”

Around 3,000 supporters with football banning orders (FBOs)
had to hand in their passports to police, adding to the 9,000
hooligans already barred from international tournaments since
FBOs were introduced.

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