Violent Crime Could Rise Due To Extinction Rebellion Protests: Former Met Chief

18 April 2019, 12:39

Former Met Police Commissioner Lord Stevens told LBC that violent crime in London could rise because police officers are being re-deployed to cover the Extinction Rebellion protests.

London is now in its fourth day of Extinction Rebellion protests and the impact has been huge.

Conditions remain in place at Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Parliament Square meaning protestors should continue any demonstrations at Marble Arch only.

The Met Police confirmed that, as of Thursday morning, 428 arrests had been made across London as part of the ongoing climate change protests.

Amid the disruption in London, Lord John Stevens, former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police told LBC that the inconvenience was "absolutely beyond acceptance".

The former Met chief said: "I think they're losing public support because of what they're doing".

He warned: "A lot of police will be taken from boroughs outside London and we know from past experience that when that happens crime goes up, and here we are in the middle of a knife crime crisis."

When Nick said the Met needed to step up, Lord Stevens said that the bottom line was resources, which needed to be found somewhere in order "to keep London moving".

When Nick asked if he was critical of the Met's response, Lord Stevens said: "Where the mistake has been made is to give them the authority or give them the ability to do this" in the first place.

The former Met Chief suggested: "Some politicians might need to go down on the front line and listen to what they've got to say and say 'move on'...but the police have to enforce the law that's the bottom line."