Calgary police officers vie for Olympic duty
Last Updated: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 | 8:37 AM MT
CBC News
Hundreds of Calgary officers wanted to spend their time off patrolling Vancouver during the Olympics, but only 75 have been chosen for the job.
More than 300 police applied for one of Calgary's 75 allotted positions. Calgary is also contributing three bomb technicians.
The officers are using annual leave for the assignment, so it won't affect staffing levels on Calgary streets.
The 2010 Olympic organizing committee, known as VANOC, will reimburse Calgary for the officers' pay during the time they are in Vancouver.
Acting Staff Sgt. Ryan Ayliffe, who helped organize Calgary's police contribution to the Olympics, will be in Vancouver for the entire month of February, assigned to BC Place.
"I don't really know what my job's going to be yet. I just know that it'll be a general policing function at that venue," he said.
Calgary officers will be wearing their regular uniforms and have the same powers as RCMP officers.
"The Calgary members for the duration in Vancouver will be considered federal police officers under the RCMP act. So those federal policing powers allow us to do our jobs there," Ayliffe said.
Going to the Olympics will be a rare police experience given the size of the security operation and will allow officers to work side-by-side with police from across the country, he said.
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