Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Notting Hill Carnival - Update 24.08.11
At a media briefing at New Scotland Yard yesterday (24 August), Commander Steve Rodhouse said:
“I'm Commander Steve Rodhouse the spokesperson for this year's Notting Hill Carnival and I'm here to outline for you our policing operation for the Carnival and the rest of London during the bank holiday weekend.
“I'd also like to update you on our pre-event operation - Razorback - which is designed to target the small minority who we know want to ruin the event for the thousands who come to join in the spectacle of Carnival
“We recognise that Carnival this year will be taking place in unusual and exceptional circumstances. The sequence of events that started on Saturday 6th August and continued on into the following week were unprecedented. Certainly unprecedented in respect of the impact they had on London as a city, its people, police, and other emergency services.
“Since then we have fortunately not seen any repeat of that violence and disorder on our streets, but the Met does continue to deploy large numbers of officers across the Capital supported by staff from neighbouring forces. Now on the light of what has happened in London over those three nights it is only right that we review our operation for the Notting Hill Carnival. That review has taken place and we have made a number of amendments.
“I do want to be clear though that the look and feel of this year's Carnival and our policing operation will not change. People need to know that if they want to come and have fun we will be there to make that happen.
“Please bear in mind that the Notting Hill Carnival was already a large event for the MPS with every eventuality catered for. However we will have additional officers on duty. At Notting Hill specifically we will have a total of 5,500 officers on duty on Sunday and 6,500 on duty on Monday. But in addition to that we will have over 4,000 additional officers on duty across London as well as the thousands who are normally on duty over a weekend.
“Some of those additional officers will come from forces outside London, through mutual aid arrangements, and the Met has cancelled all leave for staff and rearranged duties.
“Across London those additional officers will be deployed across boroughs, working to local senior officers dealing with local policing issues. However they will be available to be deployed quickly if needed.
“We've worked closely with the Carnival organisers, the local authorities of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council and Westminster City Council. We have all looked at what collective action we can take to prevent such shocking and disgraceful scenes from marring Carnival.
“We totally, from the MPS perspective, endorse and encourage the earlier start and finish times of the event this year. This year Carnival will finish at 19.00.
“The organisers took the decision because of what has recently happened and a number of other factors and they will be providing additional stewards. We will be working very closely with those stewards to help reach the earlier close down time.
“Our intelligence picture is still being developed as we approach the weekend and it will be kept under review right up to and during Carnival itself. At this stage it would be fair to say we have intelligence to suggest that some gangs want to come to Carnival and create trouble for us. Plus we know that some people believe we will be diverted from policing the rest of London due to the Notting Hill Carnival, leaving the rest of the Capital without a policing presence. This is not the case.
“I must stress that that intelligence picture does need to be seen in context. Carnival is a unique and vibrant event that is attended by over a million people and actually in the context of such an event levels of crime and disorder are low and indeed are reducing. Yet we know in the past it has been rare for the event to pass off without a degree of low level disorder, particularly after dark. So given that, and the recent events in London, it is not surprising to have such an intelligence picture.
“I want to say to those who want to come to corrupt this magnificent event you are not welcome. Please do not come. The Met will do everything in its power to make it as hard as possible for you.
“To those who think the rest of London is vulnerable - we are not just focusing on policing Notting Hill - additional officers will be out on our streets across the city.
“Our operation for Carnival draws on specialists and expertise from across our organisation and that operation has already started.
“Our operation Razorback has already made 35 arrests and more will come in the coming days. We will carry out weapon sweeps - based on intelligence.
“During the weekend itself dedicated teams of officers will be deployed away from the event - aimed at stopping potential trouble makers from even getting to the Carnival area. We will be using the skills of specialist officers and drawing on technology such as ANPR.
“At points where people enter the Carnival footprint itself officers will be using a range of tactics including the appropriate use of stop and search and screening wands to seek for weapons.
“Now we know that crimes involving victims continue to drop at Carnival, and given the numbers of people that attend levels of crime are low.
“We know in the Met that the community and indeed the organisers support our approach to policing the event and want us to keep crime down. To do that we of course need everyone's help. We are determined that any criminal minority will not be allowed to ruin this event for those who wish to attend.
“We know that Carnival is an important event in the Capital's calendar and we totally support it going ahead this year. We think that it is important to show that London is open for business.”
“I'm Commander Steve Rodhouse the spokesperson for this year's Notting Hill Carnival and I'm here to outline for you our policing operation for the Carnival and the rest of London during the bank holiday weekend.
“I'd also like to update you on our pre-event operation - Razorback - which is designed to target the small minority who we know want to ruin the event for the thousands who come to join in the spectacle of Carnival
“We recognise that Carnival this year will be taking place in unusual and exceptional circumstances. The sequence of events that started on Saturday 6th August and continued on into the following week were unprecedented. Certainly unprecedented in respect of the impact they had on London as a city, its people, police, and other emergency services.
“Since then we have fortunately not seen any repeat of that violence and disorder on our streets, but the Met does continue to deploy large numbers of officers across the Capital supported by staff from neighbouring forces. Now on the light of what has happened in London over those three nights it is only right that we review our operation for the Notting Hill Carnival. That review has taken place and we have made a number of amendments.
“I do want to be clear though that the look and feel of this year's Carnival and our policing operation will not change. People need to know that if they want to come and have fun we will be there to make that happen.
“Please bear in mind that the Notting Hill Carnival was already a large event for the MPS with every eventuality catered for. However we will have additional officers on duty. At Notting Hill specifically we will have a total of 5,500 officers on duty on Sunday and 6,500 on duty on Monday. But in addition to that we will have over 4,000 additional officers on duty across London as well as the thousands who are normally on duty over a weekend.
“Some of those additional officers will come from forces outside London, through mutual aid arrangements, and the Met has cancelled all leave for staff and rearranged duties.
“Across London those additional officers will be deployed across boroughs, working to local senior officers dealing with local policing issues. However they will be available to be deployed quickly if needed.
“We've worked closely with the Carnival organisers, the local authorities of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council and Westminster City Council. We have all looked at what collective action we can take to prevent such shocking and disgraceful scenes from marring Carnival.
“We totally, from the MPS perspective, endorse and encourage the earlier start and finish times of the event this year. This year Carnival will finish at 19.00.
“The organisers took the decision because of what has recently happened and a number of other factors and they will be providing additional stewards. We will be working very closely with those stewards to help reach the earlier close down time.
“Our intelligence picture is still being developed as we approach the weekend and it will be kept under review right up to and during Carnival itself. At this stage it would be fair to say we have intelligence to suggest that some gangs want to come to Carnival and create trouble for us. Plus we know that some people believe we will be diverted from policing the rest of London due to the Notting Hill Carnival, leaving the rest of the Capital without a policing presence. This is not the case.
“I must stress that that intelligence picture does need to be seen in context. Carnival is a unique and vibrant event that is attended by over a million people and actually in the context of such an event levels of crime and disorder are low and indeed are reducing. Yet we know in the past it has been rare for the event to pass off without a degree of low level disorder, particularly after dark. So given that, and the recent events in London, it is not surprising to have such an intelligence picture.
“I want to say to those who want to come to corrupt this magnificent event you are not welcome. Please do not come. The Met will do everything in its power to make it as hard as possible for you.
“To those who think the rest of London is vulnerable - we are not just focusing on policing Notting Hill - additional officers will be out on our streets across the city.
“Our operation for Carnival draws on specialists and expertise from across our organisation and that operation has already started.
“Our operation Razorback has already made 35 arrests and more will come in the coming days. We will carry out weapon sweeps - based on intelligence.
“During the weekend itself dedicated teams of officers will be deployed away from the event - aimed at stopping potential trouble makers from even getting to the Carnival area. We will be using the skills of specialist officers and drawing on technology such as ANPR.
“At points where people enter the Carnival footprint itself officers will be using a range of tactics including the appropriate use of stop and search and screening wands to seek for weapons.
“Now we know that crimes involving victims continue to drop at Carnival, and given the numbers of people that attend levels of crime are low.
“We know in the Met that the community and indeed the organisers support our approach to policing the event and want us to keep crime down. To do that we of course need everyone's help. We are determined that any criminal minority will not be allowed to ruin this event for those who wish to attend.
“We know that Carnival is an important event in the Capital's calendar and we totally support it going ahead this year. We think that it is important to show that London is open for business.”
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