Police presence

If you are organising a particularly large event, in consultation with the police, I suggest you consider requesting on-site police presence. From the earliest opportunity, you should consult and work with the local police, in planning and organising your . Take advantage of their advice and their skills in for example undertaking a risk assessment of the event. Listen to what they tell you and act on it.

If you require police presence on site, you will probably be charged a significant fee. Depending on the event type, scope objectives, audience, size and location you may think it worth investing in a small police presence.

When holding negotiations and discussions with the police, investigate the possibility and cost of police cover. Consider the possibility of requesting the attendance of members of the Special Constabulary in the UK. They have full police powers, but are volunteers and so unpaid. (In 2004 payment in some form was being discussed though no general change is expected for several years.) There may be an administrative charge for their presence, but as salaries are not involved (yet) fees should be significantly lower.

If you do use members of the Special Constabulary, for anything other than the smallest event and certainly for any event where money will be taken at the gates, remember what Specials are. The Special Constabulary in the UK is a disciplined but voluntary and unpaid police service. Take very good care of them. Breaking my own rule I suggest you consider supplying free refreshments and possibly complimentary tickets for their partners and children. A burger and chips, plus a ticket or two so Specials bring their families along rather than leave them at home on a Bank Holiday Monday is not too high a price to pay for eight or more hours of professional police cover You should remember that if you upset or abuse the good will of Specials you may never get them again, and regulars come at a pretty high price!

If police cover is arranged, make sure that the event manager is in radio contact with them. As a minimum, provide a police officer with an event radio, to act as even! liaison and help direct them to any trouble spots.

Police liaison officer

Most police forces have a liaison officer, who will discuss and advise on event arrangements. Take advantage of that opportunity at the earliest opportunity and stay in close contact with them during your planning and delivery of the event.

Police and road traffic

In most police forces, under-resourcing means that the police will probably not want to provide a presence on the event site and may well discourage you from running the event if it means risking major traffic problems.

One thing is almost universally accepted and that is that traffic flow on the public roads is a police responsibility, so they will usually look at monitoring and controlling traffic on the public highway at a major event.