The recent Police and Crime Committee report, "Public order policing - the Met's approach - April 2025," offers a timely and crucial look into the evolving landscape of public order policing in London. While the report focuses on the Metropolitan Police (the Met), its findings and recommendations resonate across all UK forces grappling with similar pressures. It highlights increased demand, financial strain, impacts on officer wellbeing, and the complexities of new legislation. This report isn't just a London story; it's a call to action for every force facing similar challenges.
The report clearly states that public order demand has "skyrocketed" since October 2023, with large-scale demonstrations becoming "almost a weekly norm". This sustained pressure, described by the Met as the "greatest period of sustained pressure... since the Olympics in 2012," is compounded by reduced spending and officer numbers.
The challenges extend beyond protests. Events like the Notting Hill Carnival, attracting around two million visitors, present "complex policing challenges" with concerns about crowd density and inadequate stewarding. The policing of football fixtures also places significant financial demands on forces, with the Met recouping only about 10% of its £24 million cost in the 2023/24 season.
One of the findings is the reliance on 'abstraction', where local officers are pulled from their regular duties to police public order events. This "denudation of some of our day-to-day resourcing and resilience" creates uncertainty, stretches local resources, and impacts neighbourhood policing.
Furthermore, the report details the "personal impact on police officers" due to the unpredictable nature of public order policing, particularly through cancelled rest days. Officer morale is "poor," with a staggering 71% of Met officers reporting low or very low morale in a 2023 survey. The intense media scrutiny and the risk of going "viral on social media for saying the wrong thing" adds another layer of pressure.
New legislation, such as the Public Order Act 2023, has created a "complex and often confusing landscape for both police and protesters". The ongoing legal "limbo" surrounding the definition of "serious disruption" further complicates matters, creating uncertainty for officers on the ground and leading to cases "clogging up the courts".
This is where advanced technology solutions, designed to improve situational awareness, communication, and coordination, become not just beneficial, but essential. Imagine a system that provides:
Seamless Communication:
The Police and Crime Committee's report underscores the immense pressures on public order policing. Our officers are doing "their best in policing a very difficult, complex geopolitical situation". By embracing cutting-edge technology solutions that deliver superior situational awareness, communication, and coordination, we can empower our forces to meet these modern demands more effectively, safeguard our communities, and protect the wellbeing of the dedicated officers who serve them. This is not just about efficiency; it's about building a more resilient, responsive, and ultimately, safer policing environment for all.
An innovative solution like Airbox can directly address the challenges facing public order policing by providing an overarching, intuitive mapping system for police units. The software gives commanders real-time situational awareness by integrating various data sources into a single platform. This allows for better resource management and coordination, and helps to optimise the deployment of officers, reducing the reliance on 'abstraction' from neighbourhood teams.
By providing a secure and unified communication platform, Airbox helps to break down traditional silos and allows for the rapid dissemination of information and intelligence to officers on the ground. This technology not only enhances the safety and effectiveness of police operations but also supports proactive decision-making and ensures that officers are working with the most current information, even in complex and fast-moving situations.