Royal Wedding: Security a major concern for British cops

United Kingdom intelligence, security and police agencies are working closely with the British military to protect the Royal Family and the participants in the most widely watched wedding since Prince Charles married Princess Diana.

The wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will take place at Westminster Abbey on Friday, April 29, 2011. The service is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM (U.K. Time).

The wedding procession will begin at Buckingham Palace and and end at Westminster Abbey for the ceremony, according to a Metropolitan Police Service spokesperson. More than half a million people are expected in central London for the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  

A large policing operation will be in place as the event is expected to attract substantial numbers of people onto the streets of London. In charge of the overall policing operation on the day will be Commander Bob Broadhurst, Head of Public Order, and Chief Superintendent Peter Terry, who will head the tactical policing plan.

The security forces face a wide spectrum of threats, from Islamist and Irish terrorism to anti-capitalist protesters. Then there are the emotionally and mentally disturbed who may attempt to breach security for specific reasons only they can articulate. 

For example, police officials said that 40 per cent of the most persistent stalkers in the U.K. are fixated on the Royal family. Some believe they are the true heir to the throne or that they are engaged in relationships with members of the Royal family.
 

The Metropolitan Police Service has warned it will take pre-emptive action to counter them, including warnings to specific individuals and arrests.

Police commanders claim they are confident that they can maintain security along the procession route to and from Westminster Abbey. But they are always aware that there is a potential for trouble elsewhere in the capital and in other parts of the country.

A police source told the Law Enforcement Examiner that Jihadist groups have threatened to turn April 29 into a "nightmare." While the treats are probably empty, the terrorist threat level in Britain is currently rated "severe," meaning that an attack is "highly likely."

To counter the threats, central London, including The Mall and Whitehall will be saturated with police, including rooftop marksmen. Police will be able to exercise stop and search powers derived from their own version of the Patriot Act passed by Members of Parliament. 

In addition, the British version of Navy SEALs, the Special Air Service (SAS) is involved in some planning, but their activities are being kept secret. What is known is that SAS snipers — arguably the best and most experienced in the world — will go undercover at the wedding in a major counterterror clampdown on the streets.

Jim Kouri, CPP, formerly Fifth Vice-President, is currently a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, an editor for ConservativeBase.com, and he’s a columnist for Examiner.com.  In addition, he’s a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty. 

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