DÜSSELDORF (GERMANY), 24 Apr. (dpa/EP) –
A newly created police center in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia will serve to manage security during the Euro 2024 championship, which will be held in Germany from June 14 to July 14.
“The danger is abstractly high and we take it seriously so that it does not materialize. To this end, all information related to football and security will be collected and evaluated 24 hours a day in a single place,” declared Herbert Reul, Minister of the Interior of the state, during a visit to the International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC) in Neuss on Tuesday.
“Communication and speed are essential when dealing with situations. This is the case at hand. You cannot prevent something from happening, but you can minimize it,” said the politician.
Reul believes that the security situation, amid the conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Palestine, is more tense than in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. “Major events like the Euro Cup can very quickly become the focus of extremists and terrorists.” , he said, adding that Germany’s central location and its easy accessibility from many countries are especially relevant for security.
More than 600 German and foreign officials will work at the IPCC during the Euro and 129 jobs will be available on site. “The responsibility of the parties continues to fall on the headquarters, we ensure that the emergency services have the necessary information on site. In this way, we want to create the best possible exchange of information to be able to act in any situation,” he declared. the head of the IPCC, Oliver Strudthoff.