Armed officers will be at the ready 24 hours a day and CCTV cameras will be used, as Police attempt to keep crime to a minimum over the Cup Match holiday.

Security at match host Somerset Cricket Club will be "tight" persons will have to walk through scanners to enter the field, where there will be a constant Police presence.

Meanwhile, members of the Bermuda Regiment and Reserve Police have been drafted to assist full-time officers as a precautionary measure.

Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva said the security measures would come into effect this afternoon and run through Monday morning.

He said the idea was "to ensure [Police] have a highly visible presence, to provide an immediate response to public disorder, and to assure the public that all that can be done is being done to make our residents and visitors safe and to make them feel safe during this extended holiday weekend".

Such measures would leave Police more than able "to deal with any issues, wherever they might arise" in the coming days, Mr. DeSilva told a press conference.

"More than 150 officers have been called to duty for the period and our numbers have been augmented by the Bermuda Reserve Police who, with the permission of the Governor, have been called in on a partial embodiment.

"We are also being assisted by soldiers of the Bermuda Regiment.....The extra 150 staff are over and above the normal contingent of patrol officers and community action teams, and they too have had their shifts extended to 12 hours to increase our total coverage. As always, we have a full Police firearms response capability 24 hours a day."

A brawl at the end of last year's Cup Match at Wellington Oval in St. George's marred the two-day event. Thousands witnessed the fight between two groups of men. The incident started with them throwing glass bottles at each other on the second floor of the cricket club bar, and eventually spilled out onto the cricket grounds.

The Commissioner and Somerset Cricket Club president Richard Scott stressed yesterday that "tight" security measures would ensure spectators are kept safe.

"Cricket fans and others planning to attend the match no doubt have many questions about security at the grounds, particularly in light of the events that have marred the close of the match last year in St. George's," Mr. DeSilva said. "We have been working closely with the management of Somerset Cricket Club to ensure that security is tight."

Added Mr. Scott: "We are pleased to say we will have walk-through scanners at the gates. All three gates will be facilitated with the walk-through scanners. Every person entering will have to go through the scanners.

"Every item will be subject to search and we will also have the services of the Bermuda Police Service in the event that items need to be checked in a more thorough fashion.

"We have certainly taken whatever measures are necessary to ensure the safety of the general public attending Cup Match this year.

"In light of the activity at the end of the match last year, we needed to ensure public safety and we have done that. We hope the public will come out in a respectful manner."

As an additional measure, CCTV cameras have been installed at two sites to "monitor traffic flow and record vehicle numbers", Mr. DeSilva said.

"We also have the ability to place other mobile cameras in temporary positions as the need arises. This new tactic is a trial run to evaluate the effectiveness of CCTV networks outside the City and to establish whether this is something we wish to pursue in the longer term."

Staffing increases in the Serious Crime Unit and the Police Support Unit have caused the Marine Unit to dwindle, the Commissioner said. However a memorandum of understanding with the Bermuda Regiment's Boat Troop is to compensate for the shortfall, with $50 set aside to pay the Regiment officers.

"Soldiers and Police officers will be on patrol together throughout the whole Cup Match weekend, and we will extend this initiative until the end of September at which time we will conduct a review of its effectiveness.

"The use of Bermuda Regiment in this way will allow us to put more Police boats on patrol and for longer hours."

Added Lt. Col. Brain Gonsalves: "We're certainly pleased to be able to show our expertise other than doing parades. It gives us the opportunity to show our technical skills we have learnt over the years. We're quite keen to be able to work with the Police and be able to assist Bermuda in time of need."

Lt. Col. Gonsalves said the nine soldiers who will be working with Police will wear Regiment clothing.

l More on Cup Match – see Page 3 and the Sports section starting on Page 17