Notting Hill Carnival organisers have criticised a survey of Met Police officers that appeared to reveal that many feel unsafe while working at the event.
The Met Police Federation, which represents staff, surveyed a sample of 486 officers who policed the carnival in the summer.
Almost 90% of respondents said they feel unsafe as they policed the festival.
When asked to sum up in a single sentence their experiences, one officer said: “Hell. It’s a warzone we are sent into year after year”.
Another stated they would rather “crawl naked over broken glass” than cover the event.
Others remarked that the working conditions are “dangerous”, claiming officers are treated as “lambs to slaughter” and consistently feeling “overstretched”.
“The assaults mostly involved kicks, punches or pushes. There were four incidents where officers were spat at, two where where officers were headbutted and two where officers had glass bottles thrown at them”, it said.
Organisers criticise ‘flawed’ survey
The organisers of the Notting Hill Carnival have claimed the survey had an “anti-carnival agenda” and driven by unsubstantiated quotes and “little solid data”.
They accused it of being “hugely flawed”, questioning why the Met Police Federation restricted the survey solely to their event and only polled “at best just 7% of potential officers on duty”.
Police at Carnival ‘seemed pointless’
With the event attendance reaching over a million people each year, the festival marks an important moment in the calendar for the West London immigrant community.
Georgie Condie, who attended last year’s event, claimed to City News that the police at the festival seemed a bit “pointless”.
She added that she has “never really” seen them doing anything that productive and that they “always seem to be just be strolling around”.
She said that although she’s never witnessed any violence at the festival, she believes it often happens between people who are already known to the police.
“I kind of always feel like I’m aware of their presence, but not because I need them to be there, but because they’re putting on a display of force”
Georgie Condie
The Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward told City News that everyone who values the carnival has a “responsibility to speak out” against the violence that overshadows it and “support efforts to make it safer”.
“The [survey] reflects many of the long-standing concerns about crowd safety and crime. They also highlight recent positive changes to officer provision which we know we need to continue to build on”
Matt Ward , Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police
DAC Ward assured that Notting Hill Carnival is one of the most “iconic” cultural and community events in London and one which he “continues to support.”
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HeadlineSurvey of Met Police officers criticised for having an ‘anti-Notting Hill Carnival agenda’
Short HeadlineMet Police officers survey criticised for having ‘anti-Carnival agenda’
StandfirstOfficers described working at the Notting Hill Carnival as 'hell' and 'a warzone' in a survey by the Met Police Federation
Notting Hill Carnival organisers have criticised a survey of Met Police officers that appeared to reveal that many feel unsafe while working at the event.
The Met Police Federation, which represents staff, surveyed a sample of 486 officers who policed the carnival in the summer.
Almost 90% of respondents said they feel unsafe as they policed the festival.
When asked to sum up in a single sentence their experiences, one officer said: “Hell. It’s a warzone we are sent into year after year”.
Another stated they would rather “crawl naked over broken glass” than cover the event.
Others remarked that the working conditions are “dangerous”, claiming officers are treated as “lambs to slaughter” and consistently feeling “overstretched”.
“The assaults mostly involved kicks, punches or pushes. There were four incidents where officers were spat at, two where where officers were headbutted and two where officers had glass bottles thrown at them”, it said.
Organisers criticise ‘flawed’ survey
The organisers of the Notting Hill Carnival have claimed the survey had an “anti-carnival agenda” and driven by unsubstantiated quotes and “little solid data”.
They accused it of being “hugely flawed”, questioning why the Met Police Federation restricted the survey solely to their event and only polled “at best just 7% of potential officers on duty”.
Police at Carnival ‘seemed pointless’
With the event attendance reaching over a million people each year, the festival marks an important moment in the calendar for the West London immigrant community.
Georgie Condie, who attended last year’s event, claimed to City News that the police at the festival seemed a bit “pointless”.
She added that she has “never really” seen them doing anything that productive and that they “always seem to be just be strolling around”.
She said that although she’s never witnessed any violence at the festival, she believes it often happens between people who are already known to the police.
“I kind of always feel like I’m aware of their presence, but not because I need them to be there, but because they’re putting on a display of force”
Georgie Condie
The Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward told City News that everyone who values the carnival has a “responsibility to speak out” against the violence that overshadows it and “support efforts to make it safer”.
“The [survey] reflects many of the long-standing concerns about crowd safety and crime. They also highlight recent positive changes to officer provision which we know we need to continue to build on”
Matt Ward , Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police
DAC Ward assured that Notting Hill Carnival is one of the most “iconic” cultural and community events in London and one which he “continues to support.”
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