| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
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| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
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Security wins public favor
Screening called 'wildly successful'
Copyright 2002 Deseret News
By Derek Jensen
Deseret News staff writer
Metal detectors and bag searches have not proved overly bothersome to those attending Olympics-related events, according to a new Deseret News/KSL-TV poll, and in fact public tolerance of tighter security seems to have increased since the Sept. 11 attacks on America.
"People understand why we're doing what we we're doing," says Utah Olympic Public Safety Commander Robert Flowers. "They see the necessity of it, so they supported what we were trying to do."
Indeed, security screening at the 2002 Winter Games has worked so well that Flowers, commander of Olympic security, believes Utah could host another Olympics.
"Utah could do this again with no problems at all. I would be supportive of any international event being held here in Utah," he said. "It's been wildly successful."
A remarkable 96 percent of visitors attending Olympic sporting events say the security screening measures at venues was about right, according to the survey, conducted Tuesday and Wednesday by Dan Jones & Associates. And 92 percent said they weren't bothered with the delays created by extra security screening.
Four-hundred Utahns were interviewed by telephone. Those who attended events were asked specific questions relating to their experiences.
"I'm pleasantly surprised," Flowers said of the high public-approval ratings. "I thought people would probably not react as favorably to the security as they have."
Spectators entering Olympic events had to wait in long lines, sometimes up to 45 minutes in the first few days of the Games, to go through metal detectors and bag searches. Long lines forced some people to miss the start of their events, but for the most part people seemed to understand.
The majority of people attending cultural Olympic events also seemed happy with the level of security at places like the Medals Plaza and Washington Square.
According to the poll, 87 percent of those who attended non-sporting Olympic events said the security screening measures were about right. Only 5 percent said they were too thorough and 2 percent believed they were not thorough enough.
Eighty-four percent of those surveyed said they weren't bothered by the delays getting into non-sporting Olympic events. Another 9 percent said they were somewhat bothered or very bothered.
One woman entering the medals plaza Feb. 12 said on two occasions security personnel touched her underwire bra after it set off metal detectors.
"I was very uncomfortable," said the woman, who declined to give her name. "I think the intention is wonderful, because the intention is to keep us safe. (But) they need to add a little common sense to the process."
Planners did make some minor changes to speed up the screening process, which cut waiting times on most lines down to 20 minutes or less.
Flowers and UOPSC executive director David Tubbs both say they waited in lines at the medals plaza one night for 45 minutes but heard no complaints.
"They were in great spirits," Tubbs said. "No one was complaining about the lines. They weren't upset with too much security."
Flowers credits some of that to SLOC volunteers who gave instructions and even entertained crowds entering venues.
E-mail: djensen@desnews.com
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February 23, 2002
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