HANDLING OF CROWDS

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1935, Page 14

HANDLING OF CROWDS

HOW LONDON IS CONTROLLED.

LONDON, May 11. There was not a single accident to the public and not a single instance of disorder in London during the Jubilee procession on Monday. How was it done? This, question is answered by a Writer in the “Evening News.”

The secret lay in.the close co-opera-tion of the Metropolitan Police, the Btlie provincial police ), the use of wireless, gpod humour of the There, were alto--000 police on Jubilee nd the wonder orSir Percy Laurie, Asoner of the Metropolitan Police, who is in charge of arrangements in the Metropolitan area, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Frank Abbot, of Scotland Yard, and Sir

Hugh Turnbull, Commissioner, and Captain J. A. Davidson. Assistant Commissioner of the City Police. These four men planned months ahead a scheme which worked without a hitch, ensuring against any intei ference with the precise timing of

the procession, and ensuring too, a fair chance for everyone in the huge crowds to have a good view. The public saw many police in the streets affable, gently persuasive where necessary. They did not see the elaborate organisation which was ready though not called upon—to deal with any emergency. Nor did they know that in a room at Scotland Yard there was a “nerve, centre, without which the clockwork organisation would have been impossible. Mr. Abbot spent the day in the room. Minute by minute he received messages from all parts of the route and from all districts in any way affected by the celebrations. ’ Many of these messages came by wireless, for just off tile processional route were eight police vans equipped for transmitting and receiving. In addition theio were two wireless launches patrolling the river and wireless cars and vans outside the processional i aiea. It was a matter of seconds only | to move reserve forces. There were a dozen reserve posts, in the parks and oti the Strand, At each police waited with buses and cars.

I ho King, in a letter to the Home Secretary, sir John Gilmour, expressing his “entire satisfaction” with the ceiemonial arrangements- made for Jubilee Day, refers to the police in these words; "The London police, special constabulary, and Ambulance services, true to their best traditions, took every precaution to ensure the safety and comfort, of the public, who to-day exceeded in numbers anything that I remember in my life. During the past days 1 have greatly admired tho ..tactful and sympathetic manner in which the police have handled the' cheerful and good-natured crowds thronging tho streets, surrounding our home in London, and taking every opportunity of giving us an enthusiastic welcome.”