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KEARNS — The Utah Olympic Oval will host an international speedskating competition this weekend that includes a team from France.
In light of the terror attacks in Paris, members of the Unified Police Department have spent extra time working on a security plan for the event. But while officers will be ready, police officials don't expect any problems.
"We don't have any threats whatsoever from any groups thus far — FBI, NSA — and we keep monitoring those hourly. No threats on this event. So we're not planning specifically for anything, we're just planning for general security for the event like we would normally do," said Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell.
The Olympic Oval in Kearns is hosting an event for the International Skating Union's World Cup Speed Skating circuit.
Bell said police have been checking both inside the oval and around the perimeter multiple times a day with bomb-sniffing dogs for the past week. And while there will be "plenty of manpower" on standby if needed, those attending the competition this weekend won't notice any more security at the rink than they would at any other event, he said.
"We put a little bit more into the planning because of the global climate right now," Bell said. "But really, there's not going to be any indication that security is any higher than it usually would be to the lay person attending it. But understand there's a lot more going on in the background. Anybody attending this event is not going to see anything that would alarm them or see anything that would look like more security than normal."
Bell said Oval patrons won't see "heavily armored people with rifles" when they enter, just officers in their regular uniforms.
Likewise, Salt Lake City International Airport spokeswoman Bianca Shreeve said "it's business as usual" at the airport, and protocols have not changed, though airport officials remain in constant contact with officials from the Transportation Security Administration.
On Tuesday, a Paris-bound French passenger jet that took off from Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City after the airline received an anonymous call warning of a bomb threat.
The flight, carrying more than 500 passengers and crew, was evacuated after it landed. Authorities with bomb-sniffing dogs checked the plane and allowed everyone to reboard and continue their flight after the plane was cleared.
Contributing: Mike Anderson
