Berlin, Germany, 2 May 2006
1. Wide of Berlin stadium
2. Police car in front of stadium
3. Police officer in front of police vehicle
4. Various of fans arriving for match of Berlin football club "Hertha BSC Berlin"
Duesseldorf, 5 May 2006
5. Michael Endler, Head of the German police unit in charge of hooliganism ZIS (Zentrale Informationsstelle Sporteins?tze/Central Sports Intelligence Unit), at desk
6. Office wall with German national team shirt with autographs
7. SOUNDBITE: (German) Michael Endler, Head of the D?sseldorf-based ZIS
"We wouldn''t intensively prepare for four years if we didn''t expect these kind of soccer fans and hooligans to come to Germany despite all security measures. But following information provided by Poland, England and other states known for hooliganism, our expectations can''t be compared at all with what is discussed by the public at the moment. Our level (of expectation) is considerably lower."
9. Cutaway of pennant of Israeli police
10. SOUNDBITE (German) Michael Endler, head of the D?sseldorf-based ZIS
"For the area covered by the ZIS for the state, we will ask for about 170 colleagues from abroad to be deployed in the different matches with German colleagues. Federal police will also need personnel for their tasks, which will be about 320."
Berlin, 1 May 2006
11. Various of police headquarters
Berlin, 5 May 2006
12. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Tadeuz Pawlaczyk, Police Commandant, Poland:
"Of course we can''t prevent brawls or clashes, but with the cooperation of the German police we hope that these cases can be limited to a minimum."
13. Cutaway of Pawlaczyk talking
14. SOUNDBITE (Polish) Tadeuz Pawlaczyk, Police Commandant, Poland:
"We have information about people with a stadium ban and we will make sure that these people will cause no trouble here."
Berlin, Germany, 2 May 2006
15. Police officers in front of stadium
16. Wide of fans and police in front of Berlin stadium
Word Cup hosts Germany are concerned that countries with a reputation for violence, including Eastern Europe will arrive en masse in just a few weeks time.
Polish, Croatian and Ukrainian fans, contributing to growing violence in their home leagues, are especially feared because German police find it difficult to tell the genuine supporter from the hooligan, owing to a lack of intelligence.
Whereas the British and Dutch have exchanged thick dossiers on troublemakers for years.
The German media have also criticised a series of errors in various disaster response exercises for the World Cup, although Deputy Interior Minister August Hanning said the point of training was to expose possible mistakes.
But German police are wary.
Michael Endler, head of the D?sseldorf-based ZIS, the police department that handles hooligans, told APTN: "We wouldn''t intensively prepare for four years if we didn''t expect these kind of soccer fans and hooligans to come to Germany despite all security measures. But following information provided by Poland, England and other states known for hooliganism, our expectations can''t be compared at all with what is discussed by the public at the moment. Our level (of expectation) is considerably lower."
However German strategy to combat fan violence and terrorism drew high marks at a two-day security conference of experts from the 32 countries playing in soccer''s showcase event from June 9-July 9.
Tadeuz Pawlaczyk, a Polish police commandant, thinks the German police can handle the situation, because there is good European cooperation.
"Of course we can''t prevent brawls or clashes, but with the cooperation of the German police we hope that these cases can be limited to a minimum," Pawlaczyk said.
The exact number of German police involved is unknown because the nine federal states with World Cup stadia coordinate their own security.
About 2,000 soldiers will provide support, but are forbidden from taking on police roles under the country''s constitution.
Concerned about the jumbo screen venues, the Interior Ministry wants each state to set up video surveillance, check backpacks and fence the areas like a sports arena.
Germany will also reinstate border controls for spot checks after they were dismantled for the European Union.
About 400 police and security officers from other World Cup nations will help German officers patrol stadiums, airports and train stations. England will send 45 uniformed officers abroad for the first time.
Keyword-world cup 2006
