Rio is looking like a police state, literally. The state government has put a police force of 85,000, including 23,000 soldiers who stand guard at busy intersections or roam the streets in military jeeps, with their heavy guns in their hands. On the sidewalls at the Olympic Park even armoured vehicles can be seen.
Despite such a security, there have been violent incidents almost every day. A couple of days after a bullet was found in the press area of the Deodoro complex, another bullet was discovered from the same place. The police now believe that somebody fired at a blimp hovering above the press area. Nobody has been arrested so far.
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On Tuesday, a big scare was caused by an incident when the glass of a bus carrying some journalists from the Deodoro complex to the main Olympic Park was shattered by an object. While some journalists on the bus claimed that they heard a gunfire before the glass broke, other said it was probably a stone that did all the damage. Whatever the cause, the incident left several journalists with cuts and bruises.
There have been many other incidents of violence involving foreign visitors and Olympic officials. The security chief of the opening ceremony was assaulted with a knife on the night of last Friday, as she left the Maracana. The next day, a stray bullet landed in the Equestrian Centre. And the same day, the Minister of Education of Portugal was assaulted as he walked towards the venue of the rowing events.
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Crime has been on the rise in Rio. There were close to 11,000 street robberies in June, an increase of 81% compared to the same month last year. As many crimes are not reported by the victims, who assume that the police make little effort to address them, the real figure could be much higher.
But as the police go after petty thieves, the worst crimes are probably happening inside the Olympic Village, which is a well-protected area. A few days after a boxer from a North African country was held for sexually assaulting two cleaners working in the complex, a Namibian boxer has been arrested by Brazilian police on suspicion of attempting to sexually assault a staff in the Olympic village.
The help has alleged that Jonas Junius, 22, had grabbed her and tried to kiss her. She also accused him of offering her money to have sex.
The first boxer has been detained for 15 days, pending an investigation, and is unable to take part in the Games. Now Junius, who was Namibia's flag-bearer in the opening ceremony last Friday, may also miss the games because of his detention.
