London Assembly Committee calls for review into Notting Hill Carnival Crowd Numbers
The Police and Crime Committee is calling on the Mayor to commission a review into crowd numbers and safety at the yearly festival.
A review into crowd density at the Notting Hill Carnival must be called for by the Mayor, according to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee.
The Committee says this follows concerns consistently raised by the Metropolitan Police about the possibility of a 'mass casualty event' at the carnival.
In a new report, the Committee says it found that:
- The Met continues to raise concerns about the risk of a crush at the Notting Hill Carnival. They say this is in part due to high crowd density and inadequate stewarding provisions from the events organisers.
- An increased public order demand is putting the Met under strain, which is elevated by gaps in police funding.
- Officers trained in specialist public order training are now stepping back in increasing numbers due to high demands of the role.
- Taking neighbourhood officers away from regular duties is having a continuing impact on local police services.
The Committee says it recognises the importance of the Notting Hill Carnival and its celebration of Caribbean culture and history, but that growing numbers at the event are creating a complex policing challenge.
Finally, the report gave a number of recommendations, including:
- The Mayor must commission a review of crowd density and crowd safety at Notting Hill Carnival to inform stewarding requirements. This must include a full review of pinch points and strict guidance for the number of stewards required across the Carnival.
- The Government must ensure the National and International Capital City (NICC) Grant it provides to the Met is updated yearly in line with inflation and operational requirements.
- The Met must publish its Aid Reduction Plan, or a summary thereof, to provide reassurance to local communities concerned about the impact of abstractions on neighbourhood policing.
Chairman of the Police and Crime Committee Susan Hall AM said in a statement:
“The Carnival is an important part of London’s cultural calendar. Bringing millions of visitors to London is essential for the economy and providing a wide range of events for Londoners is important for the city.
“However, we have seen and heard a number of incredibly worrying incidents with crowd density at the event, which severely impacts the Met’s ability to keep visitors safe or to respond to any incidents that occur.
“The Met told us during our investigation that there is a real possibility of a mass casualty event, and we cannot stand by and wait for a tragic incident to happen, action must be taken.
“Two people tragically lost their lives at last year’s event due to violent crime, and it is absolutely essential that the Met is on hand to carry out its duties, and not fill in for a lack of stewarding from the organisers.
“We urge the Mayor to commission a review of crowd density and safety at the Carnival, to ensure the event is well managed and to let the Met do its job in keeping us safe.”