Paralympics: Beijing to adopt same security measures as Olympics

Beijing will adopt the same security measures during the upcoming Paralympic Games as those during the Olympics ended 10 days ago, though the scale of Paralympics is much smaller, local police and the Games organizers have said.



Meanwhile, police and security check personnel will provide people-oriented services for the disabled spectators, said Cao Dongxiang, a senior police officer with the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.



They have been taught how to deal with people with various disabilities in a bid to respect their independence and privacy, he said.



At least one third of all the entrances at every competition venue are wide enough to accept wheelchairs, he said.



"Compared with the Olympics, our goal remains unchanged. Police will go all out to ensure a safe Paralympics," he said.



About 4,500 athletes and coaches from 148 countries and regions will take part in the Games from Sept. 6 to 17, and almost 4,000 journalists will cover the event.



More than 100,000 officers will be deployed across the city, and security teams will be based at 17 competition venues, 29 training bases and 16 designated hotels, Zhu Yijun, another senior police officer, told Wednesday's China Daily.



"While the scale of the Paralympics is much smaller than the Olympics, the number of police on duty across the city will be the same," Zhu said.



During the Aug. 8-24 Olympics, Beijing deployed nearly 110,000 personnel, including policemen, army troops and volunteers, and mobilized the whole society to ensure the Games security.



Source:Xinhua