Every year as Notting Hill carnival (NHC) winds down, naysayers demand the event be banned. This year is no different. Carnival is viewed through a prism of crime in a way that no other large festival or major sporting event is. Is it because a very large gathering of black people is automatically seen as a potential crime hotspot? This view is unfortunately held not just by some sections of the public and media, but also by police officers at all ranks involved in policing it.
In my 30 years in the Metropolitan police, I have carried out a number of roles associated with the policing of NHC. I have observed that officers often view it as a yearly event that is imposed on the capital. It’s not viewed with national pride, similar to something like policing England playing at Wembley – even though such matches often involve violent incidents, and police being assaulted. Also, I have never known a government minister or member of the royal family attend NHC in their official capacity, as they would with a national football game.
