Worshippers waiting in the queue to enter the National Stadium for Pope Francis’ evening mass on Sept 12. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: Hundreds of security personnel and volunteers have been deployed at checkpoints around the Singapore National Stadium on Thursday (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 the closure of some road lanes in the area.
Those taking the Circle Line and stopping at Stadium MRT were greeted by Public Transport Security Command (TransCom) and Police K-9 unit officers. The officers, accompanied by their canine counterparts, were seen patrolling the vicinity.
To facilitate smoother entry, the police had urged attendees to arrive early to allow time for security checks. They were also advised to carry minimal personal belongings.
The Straits Times observed that people were let into the stadium from around 12.45pm. Thousands of attendees had been patiently queuing for the ticketed event since 11am. They have to be seated by 3.30pm, with the Pope slated to arrive at 4.30pm.
Catholics interviewed said they spent between 10 mins and an hour to clear security. At 2pm, the queue to enter the stadium started the moment one exited Stadium MRT station.
Superintendent Clarinda Wong, Head Operations at Bedok Police Division, said the police has been 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 would be subjected to security screening, she added.
Security agencies here have been working round the clock in recent days to secure the stadium, which is hosting 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. - The Straits Times/ANN
