The city of Rome launched
beefed-up security measures in the days before the May 1 beatification
of Pope John Paul II.
Officers were even brushing up on their English to
better help the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims expected for the
event.
More security personnel and tighter passenger and baggage controls were
put into effect starting April 25 for area airports, seaports and train
stations.
Italian authorities said there would be random bag searches and ID
checks at the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino airport, Civitavecchia seaport
and Termini train station in Rome.
People with criminal records and those who would be "potentially
dangerous for tourists" were to be "moved away from" the area in and
around Termini train station, reported the Italian daily, La Repubblica,
April 24.
Special security cameras were installed in "hot spots" in and around St.
Peter's Square where the beatification Mass will be held, the paper
reported April 23.
More than 2,000 police, military police, firefighters, traffic officers
and other security personnel were to patrol "three rings" of increasing
degrees of security around the square, it said. Police were to even
patrol the Tiber River in the area of the Vatican.
Police officers and operators responding to the emergency call number
113 had all completed intensive English language lessons so as to better
serve visitors, it said.
Officers were to do a security sweep of trash cans, manholes and street
drains in the area, parking was to be prohibited and vehicle traffic was
to be diverted away from the roads closest to the April 30 prayer vigil
at Circus Maximus and St. Peter's Square the following morning.
Only
pedestrians were to be allowed to circulate in areas determined to be
"high security," La Repubblica said.