Stakeholders come together to discuss the policing of protests

The NPCC Lead for Policing Protests, Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Hamlin, will be leading the event on Wednesday 16th March.

Bringing together key stakeholders including public order commanders, protest group representatives and legal advisors it aims to consider how events are currently policed and what learning can be used in future events.

Key speakers will include The NPCC Lead for Public Order, Chief Constable Justine Curran, the Head of the Metropolitan Police Public Order and Resource Branch and Frank Hewston, a Greenpeace co-ordinator who has been involved in worldwide campaigns for the last 26 years.

ACC Hamlin said: “Police forces have a duty to facilitate peaceful protest while maintaining public safety and our approach to such events will always be intelligence led.

“However, as a result, policing styles can vary across the country and between different types of protest. This is something we acknowledge and aim to improve by bringing together key stakeholders to help shape future planning.”

People attending the conference will be tweeting during the event and members of the public are encouraged to join in the conversation using the hashtag #ProtestConf.