Met Police spend £20m policing Just Stop Oil
FORCE SHELLED OUT OVER PAST YEAR
THE Met has revealed it’s spent almost £20million policing Just Stop Oil (JSO) since October last year.
And the past five weeks alone cost £3.5million with 10,500 officer shifts not serving local communities.
It comes as 657 protestors were arrested over the past five weeks, leading to 338 charges. The police added it thinks this is the most arrests ever made when responding to mass unlawful disruption, and that 308 activists have been bailed – facing charges such as interfering with national infrastructure.
Others have been arrested more than once and are facing multiple charges.
Commander Kyle Gordon, who oversaw the operation, said: “Community policing is at the forefront of the Met’s priorities and it is tough to see resources being taken away from our boroughs by Just Stop Oil.
“These officers should be responding to local communities and dealing with local issues instead of being taken away to police Just Stop Oil protests. Their time could be far better spent tackling issues in our communities and keeping them safe.
He added: “We understand that in a democratic society there is a strong presumption in favour of the right to protest, but we also have to consider the rights of those who are impacted by JSO’s actions.
“While there is a right to protest and have your voice heard, there is no right to cause sustained serious disruption.
“It is Londoners who ultimately face the brunt and bill for this action and we understand the frustration of Londoners who are caught up in the disruption, which as we know from previous campaigns impacts on everything from a school run or commute to work through to issues such as attending hospital appointments.
“Our response has successfully minimised the disruption for the majority of Londoners going about their lives, but I urge anyone who was impacted to contact us.
“This is a busy time for Met officers and I also want thank them for their commitment to minimising JSOs disruption by effectively using the new legislation.”