67 arrested after Queen’s death as part of Met’s ‘biggest ever operation’

Police officers are seen on The Mall, on the day of the state funeral and burial of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, in London, Britain, September 19, 2022 REUTERS/Andrew Boyers
1000's of officers had been deployed throughout the UK to help safety efforts (Image: Reuters)

The Queen’s funeral marked the ‘largest policing operation’ within the historical past of the Met.

Large crowds, royalty and an extended checklist of world leaders and different dignitaries all wanted to be protected as a part of the mammoth job dealing with 1000's of law enforcement officials.

Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Stuart Cundy stated ‘nothing can evaluate’ with the ‘massively advanced’ activity, describing it because the “largest policing operation” within the Met’s historical past.

Monday signalled the ‘last and most advanced section’ of the operation after the demise of the Queen, he stated.

The size surpassed the operation for the Platinum Jubilee weekend and the London 2012 Olympics, which noticed as much as 10,000 law enforcement officials on responsibility per day.

It was additionally the most important world safety operation handled by the power, with world leaders, dignitaries and different VIPs attending the state funeral.

Former counter-terrorism police chief Nick Aldworth stated it was ‘in all probability the largest operation that we’re more likely to mount within the UK’.

It comes at a time when the nation’s terrorism menace stage stands at ‘substantial’, which means an assault is ‘doubtless’.

CCTV cameras contained in the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Operations Room in Lambeth (Image: PA)

Police patrol near St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Berkshire (Picture: Reuters)
Police patrol close to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Citadel in Berkshire (Image: Reuters)

Police and safety companies had been alert to the prospect of knife assaults, bombs being detonated, and all different doable terror threats or incidents.

So-called lone actor terrorism, particularly knife assaults, are actually thought of the principle menace.

However police guarding the King and senior members of the royal household even have to contemplate the dangers posed by people who find themselves fixated with these within the public eye.

Members of the general public had been urged to report any suspicious behaviour, with safety specialists describing potential terrorists among the many crowds as individuals who would appear ‘blatantly misplaced’ and tired of ceremonial occasions.

Officers were stationed up and down the Mall yesterday (Picture: Myrna Suarez/Shutterstock)
Officers had been stationed up and down the Mall yesterday (Image: Myrna Suarez/Shutterstock)

The hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II drives past the crowd as it leaves St. Giles Cathedral, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, flew to Belfast from Edinburgh on Tuesday, the same day the queen???s coffin will be flown to London from Scotland. (Louisa Gouliamaki/Pool Photo via AP)
Large crowds watch on because the Queen’s coffin and tons of of overseas dignitaries handed by way of London (Image: AP)

The danger of a menace is ‘pretty excessive’ significantly when Charles comes into contact with crowds, in keeping with a royal safety skilled.

Richard Aitch, director of operations for agency Mobius Worldwide, stated it turns into ‘very troublesome’ for private safety officers when the monarch is so near a ‘group of unknowns’ like crowds and they'd be finishing up a cut up second technique of “private vetting” to root out suspicious exercise.

As of 5pm on Monday, 67 arrests had been made as a part of the operation for a spread of offences, the Met stated.

Greater than 3,000 officers from nearly each power within the nation had been serving to police in London.

Thousands of officers from across the UK were deployed to support the Met (Picture: Shutterstock)
1000's of officers from throughout the UK had been deployed to help the Met (Image: Shutterstock)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 17: Britain???s King Charles III greets Interim Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan police Dame Lynne Owens and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as he arrives to meet emergency service workers at Lambeth HQ on September 17, 2022 in London, England. His Majesty The King will thank Emergency Service workers for their work and support ahead of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Hollie Adams/Getty Images)
King Charles met with Interim Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan police Dame Lynne Owens forward of the Queen’s funeral (Image: Hollie Adams/Getty Photos)

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who solely took over the position every week in the past, likened the doable whole quantity being deployed to the scale of West Midlands or Higher Manchester police.

Armed police, bike escort riders, officers finishing up patrols on horseback, canine groups and the marine unit had been among the many specialist groups concerned.

Rooftop snipers had been in place whereas the cortege was transferring, accompanied by a helicopter escort wherever exterior of the capital, Mr Aldworth stated.

There have been greater than 22 miles of obstacles in central London alone to manage crowds and maintain key areas safe.

About 2,300 law enforcement officials had been in place to supervise the Queen’s last journey from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Citadel.

A few thousand lined the route, alongside army personnel, from the Abbey to Wellington Arch whereas the Queen’s coffin was carried from the service by gun carriage.

There was additionally a substantial police presence in Windsor forward of the Queen’s committal later within the day.

Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Tim De Meyer stated greater than 2,000 officers could be deployed there within the power’s ‘largest and most vital’ operation.

Within the Berkshire city, drones had been used to observe crowds, car obstacles had been in place and there have been ‘airport-style’ safety checks like screening arches and bag searches.

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