STORY
Carnival police 'told not to search gunmen'
By Philip Johnston and Linus Gregoriadis
POLICE officers at the Notting Hill Carnival said yesterday that they had been instructed by their superiors not to search men suspected of carrying firearms.
The Metropolitan Police was also accused of "massaging" crime figures for last weekend's event. Criminals exploited the carnival because they knew police would take a "hands-off" approach, it was claimed. Two police constables, each with more than 10 years' experience, told The Telegraph that a suspected gun-carrier was allegedly not searched on the orders of a senior officer but was later arrested with a loaded pistol.
They also claimed that gangs of so-called "steamers" were allowed to roam the streets without any attempt to detain them. Police chiefs acknowledge that they try to avoid confrontations at the carnival to reduce the risk of disorder that could degenerate into rioting. But there is also a suspicion among the rank and file that a "softly, softly"' line is taken to avoid offending ethnic minority groups.
The accounts given by the two officers reinforced similar accusations made by Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation. He said people were not being told the truth about the extent of the disorder during the bank holiday event for "political reasons". According to official figures, two people died after being attacked, 69 injured people were taken to hospital and there were 129 arrests for offences ranging from assault, possession of offensive weapons and robbery.
The carnival was policed by 7,500 officers. Mr Smyth said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "For a number of years, the level of reported crime is far below that which really happens and the whole process is underplayed for political reasons. There is a significant criminal minority who exploit the carnival in full knowledge that the police will tread extremely lightly. Sooner or later, we will arrive at the situation where people are murdered at the carnival every year and many people are seriously hurt. The recent record is pretty appalling."
One of the officers who spoke to The Telegraph described how police stopped a man suspected of carrying a gun. "He was surrounded by six officers but a senior officer came over and said that the man should be allowed to go on his way. He walked off without being searched but was later stopped by another group of police constables who found a 9mm loaded pistol." The two officers said the desire to present a trouble-free carnival meant that people were unable to make an informed judgment about whether it was safe to attend.
No one was searched and serious incidents were not investigated by forensic retrieval teams because of the logistical difficulties of clearing crowds from a crime scene. They also said that stabbings were often presented as assaults, with the number of arrests reported not reflecting the true extent of carnival-related crime. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said it was impossible to investigate the allegations unless the constables came forward and identified the senior officers involved.
She added: "There is no question of police turning a blind eye. Arrests are up by 84 per cent this year and allegations of crime are up by 27 per cent. Public safety is our priority and officers where appropriate may use their discretion when faced with minor offences as arresting individuals in some circumstances could spark unnecessary tension in a dense crowd." The spokesman said CCTV recordings enabled officers to follow up crimes at a later stage after the carnival.
Neither of the two murders, nor any other incident at the carnival, is being treated as racially motivated. In the first murder Greg Watson, 21, a black delivery driver of Northolt, west London, was killed by a single stab wound. The second victim was Abdul Bhatti, 28, a salesman of Hounslow, west London. He died from head injuries after going to help friends who were being attacked and robbed by a gang.
Dave Rogers, vice-chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said he had received a number of calls from officers unhappy with the way the carnival was policed. He said: "I have not heard the allegation about firearms. But I would be absolutely disgusted if there were any truth in it." Tarique Ghaffur, a Met deputy assistant commissioner, denied that crime figures were "massaged" for political reasons.
He said that he would be "surprised" to hear that police had ignored serious crimes, but added: "I do realise that sometimes there are practical difficulties in making judgments on whether to adopt a very hard or soft approach." One victim of the violence was Alexis Condon, a BBC producer, who was attacked and wounded in the chest by a group of youths as he watched the carnival on Monday. He said: "These kids were out for trouble. They seemed to feel they could get away with it quite easily."
The allegations came as Tony Blair and Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, continued to press for more young people to come forward as potential recruits to the force. Ministers have also begun a three-week crime prevention countrywide tour.
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2000.
Carnival police 'told not to search gunmen'
By Philip Johnston and Linus Gregoriadis
POLICE officers at the Notting Hill Carnival said yesterday that they had been instructed by their superiors not to search men suspected of carrying firearms.
The Metropolitan Police was also accused of "massaging" crime figures for last weekend's event. Criminals exploited the carnival because they knew police would take a "hands-off" approach, it was claimed. Two police constables, each with more than 10 years' experience, told The Telegraph that a suspected gun-carrier was allegedly not searched on the orders of a senior officer but was later arrested with a loaded pistol.
They also claimed that gangs of so-called "steamers" were allowed to roam the streets without any attempt to detain them. Police chiefs acknowledge that they try to avoid confrontations at the carnival to reduce the risk of disorder that could degenerate into rioting. But there is also a suspicion among the rank and file that a "softly, softly"' line is taken to avoid offending ethnic minority groups.
The accounts given by the two officers reinforced similar accusations made by Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation. He said people were not being told the truth about the extent of the disorder during the bank holiday event for "political reasons". According to official figures, two people died after being attacked, 69 injured people were taken to hospital and there were 129 arrests for offences ranging from assault, possession of offensive weapons and robbery.
The carnival was policed by 7,500 officers. Mr Smyth said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "For a number of years, the level of reported crime is far below that which really happens and the whole process is underplayed for political reasons. There is a significant criminal minority who exploit the carnival in full knowledge that the police will tread extremely lightly. Sooner or later, we will arrive at the situation where people are murdered at the carnival every year and many people are seriously hurt. The recent record is pretty appalling."
One of the officers who spoke to The Telegraph described how police stopped a man suspected of carrying a gun. "He was surrounded by six officers but a senior officer came over and said that the man should be allowed to go on his way. He walked off without being searched but was later stopped by another group of police constables who found a 9mm loaded pistol." The two officers said the desire to present a trouble-free carnival meant that people were unable to make an informed judgment about whether it was safe to attend.
No one was searched and serious incidents were not investigated by forensic retrieval teams because of the logistical difficulties of clearing crowds from a crime scene. They also said that stabbings were often presented as assaults, with the number of arrests reported not reflecting the true extent of carnival-related crime. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said it was impossible to investigate the allegations unless the constables came forward and identified the senior officers involved.
She added: "There is no question of police turning a blind eye. Arrests are up by 84 per cent this year and allegations of crime are up by 27 per cent. Public safety is our priority and officers where appropriate may use their discretion when faced with minor offences as arresting individuals in some circumstances could spark unnecessary tension in a dense crowd." The spokesman said CCTV recordings enabled officers to follow up crimes at a later stage after the carnival.
Neither of the two murders, nor any other incident at the carnival, is being treated as racially motivated. In the first murder Greg Watson, 21, a black delivery driver of Northolt, west London, was killed by a single stab wound. The second victim was Abdul Bhatti, 28, a salesman of Hounslow, west London. He died from head injuries after going to help friends who were being attacked and robbed by a gang.
Dave Rogers, vice-chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said he had received a number of calls from officers unhappy with the way the carnival was policed. He said: "I have not heard the allegation about firearms. But I would be absolutely disgusted if there were any truth in it." Tarique Ghaffur, a Met deputy assistant commissioner, denied that crime figures were "massaged" for political reasons.
He said that he would be "surprised" to hear that police had ignored serious crimes, but added: "I do realise that sometimes there are practical difficulties in making judgments on whether to adopt a very hard or soft approach." One victim of the violence was Alexis Condon, a BBC producer, who was attacked and wounded in the chest by a group of youths as he watched the carnival on Monday. He said: "These kids were out for trouble. They seemed to feel they could get away with it quite easily."
The allegations came as Tony Blair and Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, continued to press for more young people to come forward as potential recruits to the force. Ministers have also begun a three-week crime prevention countrywide tour.
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2000.
