| 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 |
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| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
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| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
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Security efforts get accolades from Romney and Rogge
By Derek Jensen
Deseret News staff writer
The Games are over, the guests are leaving, the flame is extinguished and security forces in Utah are breathing a collective sigh of relief after the most fortified Games in Olympic history concluded without a major attack.
No bombings, no airplanes crashing into buildings and no masked terrorists storming venues.
Aside from police in riot gear breaking up thousands of boisterous revelers in the heart of Salt Lake City early Sunday morning, it was a relatively uneventful Olympics for police.
The several years of planning and training and more than $300 million spent on Olympic public safety helped keep security from becoming the focal point of the 2002 Winter Games.
"I'm not surprised. I suppose grateful would be a better word," said Utah National Guard Adjutant General Brian Tarbet as closing ceremonies wound down Sunday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium. "It's been a team effort."
Under the umbrella of the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command, more than 60 federal, state and local agencies combined forces to secure the Games. National Guard troops and federal officers were scheduled to wrap up their Olympic security missions by late Monday. About 5 percent of the National Guard forces will remain in Salt Lake for the Paralympic Games.
"This went down without a hitch," UOPSC Commander Robert Flowers said following Sunday's ceremony. "I can't tell you how good that feels."
Most of what police and fire personnel dealt with was minor and preventative. According to Jack Ford of the Joint Information Center, there were 574 calls and responses by the Bomb Management Center.
There were 15 arrests until the riot Sunday morning at Bud World, Ford said.
Most of the crimes police have dealt with are minor such as climbing security fences, public intoxication and possession of a controlled substance.
The FBI investigated about 40 e-mail threats to speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno — but investigators don't consider them credible and they've taken precautions to ensure his safety.
More than 15,000 police, military and Salt Lake Organizing Committee security personnel protected the Games. F-16s and Blackhawk helicopters patrolled the skies over Salt Lake and M-16 toting soldiers patrolled the areas around venues.
The fences and metal detectors that have encompassed much of Salt Lake will gradually be taken down this week and life will return to normal for the thousands of police officers from around the U.S.
In their remarks to the 44,929 in attendance at closing ceremonies, SLOC President Mitt Romney and International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge both praised security efforts for the Games.
Romney told the military and public safety workers who came to Utah from across the U.S., "You guys were great."
Rogge thanked security forces for their "professional job."
Salt Lake City police officials said they were proud of the restraint the crowd control units displayed while dispersing the rowdy party-goers outside the Bud World Party Sunday morning. There were a handful of minor injuries and some property damage, but officials said the units did exactly what they were trained to do.
E-MAIL: djensen@desnews.com
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February 25, 2002
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