Security checks around National Stadium ahead of papal mass
Hundreds of security personnel and volunteers have been deployed at checkpoints around the Singapore National Stadium on Sept 12, as worshippers began making their way there for Pope Francis’ evening mass.
Besides metal detectors and bag checks, the police have also put in place other security measures such as enhanced patrols and closed some road lanes in the area.
The Straits Times observed that the first tranche of people entered the stadium around 12.45pm. Snaking queues of thousands had been patiently queuing for the ticketed event since 11am.
To facilitate smoother entry, police have urged attendees to arrive early to allow time for security checks. They have also been advised to carry minimal personal belongings to the venue.
Superintendent Clarinda Wong, Head Operations at Bedok Police Division, said the police is working closely with key stakeholders such as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore to ensure security at the stadium.
Both people and vehicles entering the event venue will be subject to security screening, she added. For instance, vehicles will be searched before they are allowed in.
Security agencies here have been working round the clock in recent days to secure the stadium, which is expected to host 50,000 Catholics on Sept 12 for Pope Francis’ mass.
The pontiff is expected to make a lap around the pitch in his Popemobile, before delivering the homily to the faithful, which includes Catholics who have come from regional countries such as Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and South Korea.
On Sept 11, members of the media were invited to observe a multi-level security operation that stretched from the evening into early dawn.
Officers from various units of the Singapore Police Force and the Ministry of Defence were seen performing detailed venue sweeps at around midnight.
The operation involved a range of checks by at least 90 personnel from the Police Security Command and the Singapore Armed Forces’ Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group (CBRE).
Teams of officers were observed climbing and clearing the access walkways in the stadium’s dome. Hoisted 70m above the ground, they ensured that no suspicious or foreign objects were hidden above the stands.
Meanwhile, bomb-sniffing dogs from the CBRE were spotted moving around the stadium with their handlers, and multiple teams scanned every inch of the stage and ground-level seats to fully secure Singapore’s largest concert venue, which can sit up to 55,000 people.
Reporters were ushered off the stadium grounds at 2am – some three hours after the operation began on Sept 11 – but officers remained to continue the clearance operation.
The Straits Times understands that initial security sweeps and checks in the stadium’s vicinity had started a week earlier, on Sept 6.
Singapore is the final stop of the Pope’s four-nation Asia tour, which started on Sept 2.
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