WELL-BEHAVED CROWDS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25243, 23 July 1947, Page 8

WELL-BEHAVED CROWDS

POLICE AND TRAFFIC CONTROL

Although the crowds which welcomed Field-Marshal Lord Montgomery numbered thousands, they were remarkably well-behaved, and police and traffic officers had little difficulty in controlling them, except in isolated instances. Every police and traffic officer in the city was on duty during the day. The Christchurch City Council’s traffic staff was reinforced for the occasion, and from 8 a.m. onward officers were at work marking the route with traffic signs and clearing the streets of cars. Altogether there were 34 men on duty, including the staff of the testing station. Officers of the Transport Department controlled traffic along Riccarton road and city officers took over at the Carlton bridge. They reported that the crowds were very well-behaved and there was no difficulty in keeping the streets free of cars, although a few were parked here and there.

Every available member of the Police Force from Superintendent H. Scott was on duty, and men from suburban stations were called in for the day, while the district and arms offices were closed temporarily. Mr Scott said ll at there were no incidents during the whole time he travelled with the official party. The crowds had behaved excellently. The crowds’ good behaviour was reflected in the absence of casualties. About 50 members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the nursing envision were on duty at various points along the route and in the King Edward Barracks, but there were no ambulance cases. Three cases of collapse in the barracks were treated.