In recent years the huge event of Notting Hill carnival has been marred by outbreaks of violence and criminal activity. As such, the carnival route is set to be flooded with police who have this year, been given extra powers to stop and search any individual in attendance without the need for probable cause.
Controversial power handed to police in a bid to maintain security
A Section 60 order has been put in place for the protection of those intending to enjoy the London-based carnival. This order allows police to stop and search people without reasonable suspicion, meaning that they do not have to justify stopping somebody.
Metropolitan Police officials state that this will send a clear message of intent to anybody who may be intending to cause disruption at the Carnival.
According to the Guardian, the police will enacting a zero tolerance policy and will be on high alert for those seeking to commit crimes. However, this Section 60 order is highly controversial, as critics claim that it can be directed largely at African-Caribean people and encourage racial profiling by the police. In addition, commentators argue that the order gives police too much power and hands officers license to interpret the power subjectively, leading them to treat people in any manner they chose.
Police chiefs have justified their issuing of the Section 60 order as part of a massive security operation which is aiming to keep the one million people expected to attend the Carnival safe.
Senior officials within the Metropolitan Police have indicated that they have received worrying intelligence in recent days, leading them to believe that there is a high threat of violence breaking-out over the two day period. Whilst the Met have not stated for certain if the extra powers will still be in place tomorrow for the Carnival's second day, it is thought that this is highly likely, largely because the second day is expected to be the louder and busier of the two rather than today's children's day.
A backdrop of violence has set the scene for this year's carnival
There has been a particularly violent build-up to this year's event. In the past two days, there have been five separate shootings occur in the capital whilst another man was stabbed to death on Saturday night in Deptford. This year, the rate of violent crime has risen in London, with the number of killings even surpassing that of New York in February.
The number of young people carrying weapons on their person has also become a huge concern with London's Mayor, Sadiq Khan, issuing a number of public campaigns urging young people to stop carrying knives.
BBC notes that the police have also put in place so-called 'knife arches' at strategic intervals along the route which are designed to detect whether people are carrying a concealed weapon. The officer in charge of this massive security operation, Commander Dave Musker, has stated that "the intelligence picture and incidents of violence" which the Met has been dealt with recently have put the officers on high-alert for potential outbreaks of violence and crime as the vibrant carnival carries on along its route through London.
