Olympic security to cost $1-billion: federal government

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2010 Olympic security budget: $900 million

VICTORIA (NEWS1130) - B.C. Finance Minister Colin Hansen says security for the 2010 Winter Olympics will cost $900 million, five times more than the original $175 million estimate. The federal and provincial governments released the budget today after more than year of negotiations.

The RCMP-led security team submitted their financial plan in November 2007. Their original estimate was included in the Olympic bid book but was later discounted as being far too low. Games security will involve more than 8,000 people from agencies including RCMP, military and local police.

The main argument between Ottawa and Victoria had been how much each jurisdiction will pay to protect and police the Games. Back in October, federal public safety minister Stockwell Day said the Olympic security budget would be between 400 million and a billion dollars.