UEFA European Championship: Major Soccer Tournament - Prior to the European Championship, Poseck emphasizes the importance of staying alert.
Coming up to the start of the European Football Championship in Germany, the Hessian security officials claim they're ready, despite the tense atmosphere. Roman Poseck, Hesse's Interior Minister (CDU), stated in Frankfurt on Monday, "Right now, we don't have any specific threats we're aware of. There's a high potential threat, though." The recent brutal attack in Mannheim where an Afghan injured six people from the anti-Islam movement Pax Europa and a cop using a knife doesn't change the situation any further, he added. What happened in Mannheim demonstrates how quickly and brutally a real danger could manifest.
"We're going to do everything we can to ensure a peaceful and joyful European Football Championship in Hesse," assured Poseck. The police are "pretty much good to go," according to him. The men's Euro Cup initiates on Friday (14th June). Over five games will be held in Frankfurt from the 17th June onwards. One more attraction is a 1.4-kilometer-long fan mile along the Main for up to 30,000 visitors. The biggest international fan groups hail from England and Switzerland.
The police have been prepping for the UEFA tournament for two years and are eager for joyful celebrations and relaxed vibes, while also preparing for drunken chaos and hooliganism.
To provide security, police rely on a large presence, multilingual communication, and innovative technology, including modern loudspeaker vans with LED screens or an enhanced video surveillance system. In the police headquarters, there's a video operation center where transmissions from various sources like surveillance cameras, police recordings from helicopters or drones are centralized. This raised the security level for the Euro Cup remarkably, noted Stefan Mueller.
"We're expecting a 30-day football fiesta in the heart of Europe," said Thomas Schmidl, head of the Operations Department. The police's approach is to be as chill as possible and as alert and decisive as necessary when responding. "We'll continue to adjust our strategy as we go along," he added. A significant challenge is drone defense. As a result, it's prohibited to fly drones in the stadium area, the fan zone along the Main, or the Ukrainian team camp in Taunusstein. They also have a Cyber-Unit to safeguard against potential digital threats.
The police suggest using public transport or bicycles to reach the stadium, as parking spaces there would be unavailable due to the sustainable concept of the UEFA.
In terms of potential terrorist attacks, Schmidl also highlighted there are no known threats in Frankfurt and Hesse. However, this doesn't mean they should feel secure or complacent. German security forces are on high alert and cooperating closely. "If we need to respond, we'll do it swiftly, firmly, and aggressively," he stated. Forces are present on the ground, on the water, and in the air.
Mueller also stressed that surveillance in the dangerous Bahnhofsviertel has been boosted. Furthermore, there'll be increased police presence and rigorous weapon checks. A few weeks ago, the British tabloid "Sun" cautioned football fans about this area using the term "Zombieland."
