Letter: Whit Friday Policing
Both volunteer and professional stewards helped run the contests.
Below is a letter to the editor about the policing and stewarding operation on Whit Friday, sent in by one of the organisers, Ian M Shepherd. I’ve reproduced it in full.
If you’d like to respond to the points made in the letter then leave a comment below. Or you can send a letter to the editor yourself, about this or any Saddleworth subject, by e-mailing editor@saddleworthnews.com. Please make it clear if you’d like your e-mail to be published.
Full coverage of Whit Friday from Saddleworth News can be found here.
“As one of the people responsible for organising stewarding for Whit Friday contests this year, it is heartening to hear a lot of very positive feedback regarding this year’s events.
“Planning started last September and has involved numerous meetings, briefings, site visits, safety audits and communications with various organisations including the police, Highways, First Response, Licensing and numerous others.
“The decision to put out a message of ‘robust policing’ was a joint decision between the organisers, police and local authority. We were all determined that the very small minority of people who are intent on causing trouble, would be dealt with firmly to ensure the vast majority of people could enjoy themselves in a safe environment suitable for the whole family.
“Arrests were down substantially on last year. The committees have worked very closely with all partners to make sure the event proved to be the overwhelming success it was. We will be meeting again shortly to see what if anything can be done to improve the arrangements for next year’s contests.
“The use of SIA licensed private security staff proved to be very effective, and feedback from the staff involved was also very positive except for a few minor issues. The logistical exercise of getting more than sixty staff briefed, and to the correct locations at the correct time, with all the necessary radio communications and centralised management, was in itself a major achievement. Most of the staff had no previous experience of a Whit Friday in Saddleworth.
“Inter-communications between the police, First Response, Licensing, organisers and stewards was also far better this year. Planning for next year’s event starts very soon, and we look to build on the successes we achieved this year.”
Ian M Shepherd
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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Good point. Very good organisation and collaboration
Once again – great job by the Whit Friday Band Contest organisers – well done indeed this year.
I attended three contests – Delph, Denshaw & Scouthead – all well organised with Police & Stewards doing an effective job – especially in Delph where stewards really earned their money guiding the coaches through the village.
I was also pleased to see a ‘sea change’ in the way the event was policed from the past two years – this was more the community policing we are used to and I’m glad of it.
It was very unfortunate of senior police officers to use terms like ‘Robust policing’ – it gave out the wrong signals to many people. A lot of people are unhappy (with some justification) about the policing approach used in the past couple of years and this sort of language didn’t help.
The approach apparently used by senior officers in Delph for the Whit Friday walk has also caused concern. Here is just one of quite a few Emails (and phone calls) I’ve had from locals on the subject.
‘Hi Ken,
Do you know that the police have changed this years route and that instead of using Grains Road, we are to process up Stoneswood Road same as last year.
In my humble opinion this is unnecessary interference with our traditional patterns of Whit Friday walks of Witness. Done on the grounds of road traffic is this the thin edge of the wedge to ban the walks? You know, you can’t walk here this year and there next? We all cooperate until suddenly we’ve nowhere to go!!!
I would appreciate your thoughts. Best wishes,’
Perhaps in future years it might be a good idea if local councillors both Parish & OMBC were involved in the consultation process.