suyoshi Chiba, AFP | Brazilian soldiers patrol Rio's international airport as part of an increased security presence during the 2016 Olympics

The Olympic Games may have just begun, but crime and an overwhelmed police force threaten to overshadow this celebration of sport in Rio de Janeiro.

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Brazil has deployed 85,000 police and soldiers to combat crime and the threat of terrorism for the Olympics -- double the number used in the 2012 London Games – including extra checkpoints, barricades and traffic restrictions. From the shore of the capital’s renowned Ipanema beach, a naval ship can even be seen patrolling in the distance.

Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes declared in the lead-up to the Games that Rio would be the safest place to visit in the world.

Despite this show of force, Rio’s most determined criminals are clearly taking advantage of the mass influx of visitors.

Liesl Tesch Was one of two Paralympian's mugged at gunpoint at bus stop in Rio

WELCOME TO RIO #RioProblems pic.twitter.com/5xlHUiGIdk — ANDREW PARKER (@AndrewParker101) August 3, 2016

Street crime soars



The New York Times reported that in June there were almost 11,000 street robberies - an 81 percent increase compared to the same month last year. Some experts believe the figure could actually be even higher as many victims fail to report crimes as they assume the police will not follow through on their investigations.

It seems even those tasked with ensuring safety aren’t safe, as the chief of security for the opening ceremony was mugged at knife point as he left the Olympic Stadium Friday night.

On Monday a Greek official became the latest victim: he was robbed of $11,000 in electronics equipment.

It followed an assault on Portugal’s education minister on Saturday as he was taking a stroll in an upscale neighbourhood of Rio.

That same night two Australian rowing officials escaped serious injury after being robbed at knifepoint following the opening ceremony. The pair were returning to their accommodation in Ipanema, in the south of the city, at around 8.30pm when they were approached by two Brazilian youths.

In yet another incident, a bomb scare at the finish line of the men’s cycling event scared visitors until authorities confirmed it was a controlled explosion.

With the interplay of international tourists, athletes, officials and ordinary locals it’s hard to know whether a burst of gunfire – a regular occurrence on Rio’s streets – could be a gangland turf war or a security operation.

Such was the case on Saturday night when a stray bullet tore through the media tent at the equestrian event narrowly missing a New Zealand team official and journalists.

A statement by the defence minister on Sunday claimed that the bullet was fired from one of the nearby slums and was aimed at a police drone, which are commonly used by local police to monitor crowds.

Despite assurances that the site was secure, an American photographer who witnessed the incident from inside the tent told Reuters that gunfire could still be heard at the venue the following day.

Police: fed-up and underpaid



Much of the current security woes can be traced to the country’s deepening economic crisis.

Rio police and firefighters at airport, protesting lack of pay (via @Smithmarkets): #RioProblems pic.twitter.com/xql3ykoXuC — Rachel Bachman (@Bachscore) June 28, 2016

When the state government declared a financial crisis in June, it was Rio’s police who were hit particularly hard. Weeks ahead of the Games, the police staged a strike at the capital’s international airport in response to the government’s inability to pay salaries.

Although budget cuts were implemented across the board and the state borrowed $850 million from federal coffers to cover the cost of security during the Games, some police are still waiting to be paid for overtime worked in May and June.

Some stations even lack the funds for pens, petrol and toilet paper, and continue to rely on public donations.

Political uncertainty

Numerous political protests triggered a clamp down before the Games kicked off. In the hours leading up to the opening ceremony, the Olympic torch had to be diverted en route to Maracana stadium to avoid police clashes with demonstrators at Copacabana beach, whilst the city’s favelas were left off the torch route altogether.

Brazil is also in the midst of its worst political crisis in decades, with deep divisions emerging between supporters of former president Dilma Rousseff who’s standing trial on corruption, and interim president Michel Temer.

Mass political demonstrations have become a daily occurrence and continued after the Games had started, despite the Olympic Charter prohibiting the presence of political propaganda at venues.

Avoid interacting with locals



Airport style checkpoints have also meant long queues and delays getting into venues leading to low spectator turnout.

Security experts have been warning tourists and visitors to avoid interacting with strangers and to remain vigilant at all times, but many believe the heavy security presence is projecting the wrong type of image for the Games.

But if the Olympic spirit of harmony and peace is to be safeguarded during Rio’s Games, then it may leave organisers little choice but to stick to the current security strategy, whatever its perceived shortcomings.

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