CONTROL OF CROWDS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27679, 8 June 1955, Page 7

CONTROL OF CROWDS

1 VIEW OF POLICE SUPERINTENDENT ' VISIT OF H.M.A.S. SYDNEY i AND GLOBEMASTER

The unexpectedly big crowds that attended and the necessity of concentrating policemen at places where injury was most probable, are answers given by the Superintendent of Police (Mr D. Sugrue) commenting on complaints about the control of crowds visiting H.M.A.S. Sydney and the United States Globemaster aircraft The complaints have been made by . correspondents in letters to» “The Press." A correspondent “R.R.,” writing on the visit of the Sydney, said in his letter that instead of supervising the people into orderly queues, the police Just allowed them to mass in block -In consequence, the children were getitine crushed and hurt and in one case >t least, knocked over and trodd-n on’ While he realised there was limited space for such a vast crowd, the Police Department should have sent more than six policemen down there to •guide the crowd. It was shocking inefficiency. ; “From experiences in other ports it was estimated that a crowd of between 5000 and 8000 could be expected to visit H.M.A.S. Sydney. Sufficient police were detailed for this number” said Mr Sugrue, commenting on this letter. “Police had to be detailed for duty at counter-attractions. A crowd of between 20,000 and 25,000 visited the ship and because of this and the restricted area normal control was impossible The police were fully occupied at the bottle-neck entrance to the gangwayeasing the pressure so that no-one would be injured, and, as far as I know, no-one was injured,” he said. Globemaster’s Visit A correspondent, “Still Waiting" writing on the visit of the Globemaster, said that many hundreds of people queued up immediately in front of the aircraft about 1 p.m and were still there ak 3.30 p.m. because gatecrashers at the side, who went two hours late, were permitted up the gangway first. Until then he had the greatest respect for the police force but he thought Sunday’s fiasco woul< take a lot of explaining away. “Nineteen police officers, supple mented by 15 Air Force personnel were on duty at Harewood and thi was considered ample,” said M Sugrue. However, after the Globe master touched down, crowds kep continually arriving, swelling th< attendance to probably more that 10000. Because of the excitement ant the unreasonableness of many, then was thengreatest difficulty in formin; orderly queues. The pressure at th< foot of the ramp became so great tha all th* staff was needed there to sav< people from possible injury. The re suit was that orderly queueing sufferet for a period. It was restored; but no before many latecomers had taken ui advantageous positions in the queue. “It is regretted that many peoplt were disappoirited.-but I consider tha the police and Air Force personne did their best under difficult condi tions. Tributes to the work of th< police on this occasion and also on th< day of the visit to H.M.A.S. Sydney have been paid by several citizens,’ Mr Sugrue said.