For weekend ‘maybe as big as New Year’s
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said her force has been planning for July 4 “for some time” and that the public will see “a lot” of officers on London streets.
She told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “We’re planning, we’ve got extra resources in place, we’re talking to people in every way we can think of, we are absolutely prepared. You will see a lot of police officers out on the street. There will be a lot more ready should people be out of order, should people get violent. But I’m not predicting that at this stage.”
Tim Clarke from the Metropolitan Police Federation, that represents officers up to the rank of chief inspector, said he feared this weekend “could be anything but a ‘Super
Saturday’ for police officers”.
He went on: “The challenges they face this weekend with pubs and restaurants reopening and many people predicted to travel across the country to see family and friends will make this weekend perhaps as busy as policing New Year’s Eve.
“People will be coming out in droves and if we have nice weather again this weekend it will be a significant challenge with the further relaxation of Covid-19 guidance.
“This could have been mitigated by waiting until Monday to further relax the Government guidelines to us all – but as always, policing and police officers will do the best we can in the challenging circumstances.”
London has seen tensions flare during recent protests and a number of unlicensed music events.