MARGAO
The South Goa police have issued an advisory to hotels and guest houses in a bid to build a strong and visible “terror shield” to deal with possible terror attacks and to inspire tourist confidence after the bomb blasts in Sri Lanka.
The advisory issued by district police chief, SP Avind Gawas has suggested a host of security measures, including external access control, material access control, internal access control, people’s access control, besides crisis management plan. The measures have also mooted liaison with local administration, casting responsibility on the nodal officer responsible for crisis management in hotels to coordinate closely with the local administration and police authorities for urgent deployment of QRT, local police in any crisis situation.
As part of the external access control, hotels have been told to install watch towers in the corners, especially towards the beach side to maintain surveillance on intruders. The advisory has recommended increasing the number of security guards and to step up patrolling inside the hotels.
Under the perimeter security system, the hotels have been told to install CCTV cameras along the periphery, especially facing road side, at all the public areas of the hotel, especially at the alighting point and entrance door.
The advisory has recommended that all suppliers to the hotel, fresh and otherwise should be put through scanners, besides posting trained security personnel at the security gate to detect any explosives. Hotels have been asked to take the baggage to a drop point, away from the lobby and pass through baggage scanners, which can detect the shape and density of the objects with a high degree of clarity. The advisory has told the hotels in clear terms not to entertain “walk in guests” and have been further told to ask for identity proof of all adult guests with photographs.
