Roundup: Security plan for Rome's Jubilee to kick off Monday

The security plan for the upcoming Catholic Jubilee will come into effect here on Nov. 23, two weeks before the effective opening of the event, Italian authorities said Friday.

Some 2,000 officers will be distributed across the Italian capital during the one-year-long major occasion, including Italy's military and finance police, according to Rome's police commissioner Nicolo D'Angelo.

"They will add to the army deployed in the city in order to ensure daily security," the commissioner told a press conference.

"Such deployment of forces will be enhanced during scheduled special events during the Jubilee Year," D'Angelo added.

Security measures in Rome and Italy's second major city Milan had already been increased in the immediate aftermath of Paris terror attacks on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people.

In Rome, the Interior Ministry earlier this week added 700 additional troops to 1,300 soldiers already being deployed around 94 sites considered at risk including embassies, institutional buildings, public transports, airports and ports.

Some further details of the plan were unveiled at the press conference on Friday, while others would remain undisclosed for security reasons, authorities explained.

Police patrols will be carried out on all public transports, including local buses, and the video surveillance system will be strengthened within the city, according to the police commissioner.

More attention will also be paid to Rome's outskirts.

"Patrols will be substantially increased in the suburbs, which cannot and should not be forgotten (in terms of security) because of both their size and their high demographic density," D'Angelo told reporters.

"We have to remember Rome is Europe's second largest city after London in terms of extension, and the fourth in terms of population," the official said.

The Catholic Jubilee will officially open on Dec. 8, and millions of pilgrims from all over the world are expected to visit Rome throughout the so-called "Holy Year".

The inflow of people into St. Peter's Square will pass through some 30 entrances provided with security checks and body scanners.

Additional patrols will also be carried out routinely during major events unrelated to the Jubilee, like sport matches, and across popular nightlife areas in the city.

Taking effect two weeks in advance, the security plan would be easier to test and eventually update according to necessities, according to local authorities.

The air space over Rome will remain closed during the whole Jubilee, and security authorities would be ready to shoot down drones and ultra-light aircraft in case they violate the ban, Rome's prefect Franco Gabrielli confirmed Friday.

The prefect also appealed to the media to scrupulously verify all information relating to security, and avoid spreading false alarms and increasing fear in the population.

"This Jubilee Year comes in an era of social media and smart-phones, and I expect an increase in alarms," Gabrielli told reporters. "Yet, I hope we will face this kind of scenario all together, trying to distinguish what is true information from what is not." Endit