A summit on high alert
Two days of crushing heat, occasional light rain, a frisson of tension in the air, significant policy issues, and above all a massive deployment of security forces. For fedpol personnel, three key words summed up their work: anticipation, flexibility and reactivity.
On Sunday afternoon, the Federal Council jet landed on the tarmac of the Agno airport in Ticino. Not a cloud in the sky. On the ground, the elite of various Swiss security authorities, including fedpol, were ready to welcome the members of the Ukrainian government and parliament. In total, 58 international delegations and representatives of the private sector and civil society were expected to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2022).
The Conference had been planned for some time in Lugano, but under a different name: the Ukraine Reform Conference. However, the outbreak of the war was a game changer, shifting the original objective. Henceforth, the discussions would focus on the reconstruction of a country at war.
This change also had implications for fedpol, with a constantly changing situation creating new challenges and new threats. The great unknown of the conference was whether or not the Ukrainian President would be there. This question remained unanswered until the last minute. Fedpol's mission was to analyse the situation every step of the way and to anticipate security measures.
Collaboration from all sides
To ensure that everything went smoothly, various units from every conceivable sector were present in Lugano: first and foremost, the Ticino cantonal police and fedpol, but also several local police forces, the armed forces, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, the transport police, civil protection and private security agents.
At the Security Headquarters in Lugano, a huge tent housed the majority of the personnel; many of whom were part of security details and knew each other well. This closeness was needed to work effectively with colleagues from the various security forces. An operational police force includes people who know each other, who trust each other and who work together.
While the atmosphere was collegial, staff was always on alert. For example, when the head of the personal protection unit caught sight of a bag abandoned at a distant bus stop; immediate action was taken, with a sweep of the surrounding area in search of suspicious persons. Fortunately, it was a false alarm, but the response had been immediate. The fedpol teams were on constant alert for three gruelling days. Their hard work paid off: the Conference was a success as far as security was concerned and the fedpol staff could go home with peace of mind.