The Met will be on duty in their thousands this bank holiday weekend to keep the public safe, as Notting Hill Carnival is welcomed back to west London after the pandemic.
The annual festival, which celebrates the diversity and cultural richness of London, is an important weekend for local communities.
The Met’s public order team have been working for months with the event organisers, Notting Hill Ltd., local authorities and other emergency partners making sure thorough plans are in place so everyone is able to enjoy Carnival.
The plan will be concentrated on managing large crowds and providing a rapid response which is able to change swiftly from detecting and preventing crimes.
This year, there will also be outreach officers out and about at the carnival. These officers are there to listen to the public, learn and hear any concerns, or answer any queries people may have.
Dr Alison Heydari, Commander of Local Policing, said:“Being able to attend Carnival in person has been sorely missed for the last couple of years, so we are expecting large crowds in the Notting Hill area this weekend.
“We are looking forward to policing the event and being amongst the communities who visit year in and year out, contributing to the celebration across the bank holiday.
“We are also working to keep the area safe with the festival organisers implementing ‘safer spaces’ where women and girls can go and seek advice from specially trained professionals, as well as the police.
“Our officers are here to help you, if you feel like something doesn’t look right please speak with us.”
People coming to Carnival are asked to follow the following advice to help keep them safe:
– Plan your journey in advance, do not drive your car to the area. There are planned strikes in the area and Tubes and buses will be busy, know your options and routes to and from Carnival.
– Go with the flow of the crowd, don’t try and walk against it.
– Don’t just rely on your phone, set a meeting place with family or friends in case you lose one another.
– Keep your belongings with you at all times.
Pictured top. Previous Carnival revellers. Picture Diliff via Wikimedia Commons
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