Tight security in place for Royal visit to BC

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Royal couple, William and Catherine, is coming to BC this weekend, including a couple stops in Vancouver. However, protecting arguably two of the most recognizable people in the world comes with challenges.

Vancouver Police and RCMP are both involved, but the two forces aren’t out-sourcing all of their protection. “The Royals travel with a group called SO14, which is the [London] Metropolitan Police Force special trained group,” explains international security consultant David Hyde.

The couple is having its own armoured vehicles shipped from London. And specialized officers will be the closest to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when they make their two public appearances, including one at the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station on Sunday that will include a visit from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The other takes place at Jack Poole Plaza that same morning.

Any adoring fans that get a chance to meet them, won’t be picked at random. “Those folks will have been screened. There will have been some pre-emptive steps taken to make sure the locations are secure. And so anyone meeting with the Royals, there will be various levels of security around those interactions,” says Hyde.

But it’s their un-published itinerary, including a trip to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside that can create the biggest hurdle for those in charge of protecting the couple.

Their movements will be a closely-guarded secret. “It’s called the principal of least privilege. Only the folks that need to know anything about the visit will be told. And only the limited information that they need to know,” says Hyde.

He adds unexpected stops, can be a major inconvenience. “The Royals may say ‘Well we need to make this stop, there’s something not on schedule that now needs to take place.’ The Pope is famous for making those unscheduled stops. There can be a struggle sometimes between the dignitary being protected like the Royals, and the security to say well, ‘Security says no deviations. We have a plan and the plan is there for your protection.'”

For a look at their full itinerary click here.

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