Survey Reveals Police Officers’ Safety Concerns at Notting Hill Carnival

A survey conducted by the Metropolitan Police Federation suggests that a majority of police officers feel unsafe while working at the Notting Hill Carnival. As part of the survey, officers who have been deployed at the event over the last 10 years described it using terms such as “hell” and a “warzone.” According to the Met Police, more than 350 violent or sexual offences were reported at the carnival in August, including the fatal stabbing of young mother Cher Maximen, along with 61 attacks on officers. However, the carnival’s organizer stated that the survey had “an anti-carnival agenda” and only represented the views of a minority of the 7,000 officers who staff the event. Notting Hill Carnival Ltd deemed the survey “hugely flawed,” noting that it gathered responses from “at best just 7% of potential officers on duty.” In a poll of 486 officers, 89% reported not feeling safe, and 29% indicated they had been assaulted while policing the event. The federation, which represents rank and file officers, explained that the poll aimed to gather “concrete evidence” of officers’ experiences. The carnival, a celebration of Caribbean culture, spans a three-and-a-half mile (5.6km) route in north Kensington, west London, and has been held for over 50 years. Occurring annually over the August bank holiday, the spectacle of costumes, dancing, and music attracts approximately two million revellers. The management of the event has faced criticism in recent years over what police refer to as “an unacceptable level of crime,” though some supporters of the carnival argue it has been unfairly portrayed. One unnamed officer characterized it as “dangerous,” with officers being treated as “lambs to slaughter,” while another stated they “would rather crawl naked through broken glass” than work there. Simon Hill, deputy general secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: “I’m actually quite shocked by some of the responses. I knew that the event wasn’t popular, for a whole variety of reasons.” He added: “But the candour from the officers and some of their descriptions of how they feel, how they felt at the carnival and their experiences of being assaulted, quite frankly were shocking.” Mr Hill also mentioned that the federation is concerned that the large scale of the event led officers to feel “powerless” to prevent attendees from becoming victims of crime. “No other event in London has this combination or level of issues for officers.” He further stated that officers’ concerns about long working hours also emerged from the survey. The event organizer affirmed its condemnation of “all acts of violence” and described the survey’s findings as “misleading.” Notting Hill Carnival Ltd stated: “It is quite clearly written with an anti-carnival agenda that the police federation highlights every year. It is driven by unsubstantiated quotes and little solid data, designed to create negative headlines.” A spokesperson added that organizers rely on collaboration with police and local authorities, but “this continued rhetoric unquestionably has a detrimental effect on the events planning process.” Matt Ward, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said: “The views described in the survey reflect many of the long-standing concerns about crowd safety and crime at Notting Hill Carnival. They also highlight recent positive changes to officer provision which we know we need to continue to build on.” He stated that the force is troubled by “unacceptable levels of crime at the event” and that a “step change” in the event’s management is necessary to prevent overcrowding.