SIX hundred Metropolitan Police officers were drafted in for a mass parade policing operation on Sunday, after weeks of planning for “worst-case scenarios”.

Officers said they expected the event to run smoothly, but were prepared for any major incidents that are a risk at huge events.

The Tribune accompanied sergeants for their on-the-day duties, from the briefing room in Tolpuddle Street police station to the barriers on Holloway Road.

“This is the bread and butter for us”, Islington BCU Commander Jason Stewart said.

“What’s unique about the Met is these big set-pieces. If you think back to the Queen’s funeral, the Coronation, big protests in central London, that’s where the whole team comes together and we are really good at what we do.”

Chief Superintendant Jason Stewart

With so many officers coming from outside the borough, Chief Supt Stewart said it was an important chance for the force to restore trust. They were encouraged to treat the event as a “celebration” and urged not to be heavy-handed: “talk to people, pose for photographs, take every opportunity to try and build trust and confidence.”

Meanwhile, in the control room at the Emirates, dozens of screens displayed CCTV footage from across the borough as thousands of fans lined the streets.

Crowd control specialists surveyed the scenes to assess whether the crowd was moving as one – a sign that things might be taking a turn for the worse and there is a risk of crushing.

Meanwhile, another screen showed online traffic – while officers tracked whether “Arsenal victory parade” was being mentioned online either positively or negatively.

Inside the control room

There has been criticism, including from Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley that big clubs like Arsenal should be helping to pay for game-day policing, which is currently funded by the taxpayer and draws from resources elsewhere in the capital.

Chief Supt Stewart told the Tribune that the force were “not overwhelmed” despite funding cuts which have led to 3,000 fewer officers, but that the service would like to see “more funding” on game days.

He added that the parade, however, “spreads out further” than just Arsenal fans, and “becomes a massive community event”.

“It’s not for me to comment on behalf of the wider taxpayer, but I imagine that some of the public here today will be thinking we all pay our taxes we want to have a lovely day, we want to feel safe and protected and that’s what the police are here for. I think today is so unique, it would be wrong to draw it into the discussions around football policing,” Chief Supt Stewart said.

There have been concerns raised that huge events such as parades and protests mean that police are redirected from other areas in the capital.

“It does mean for a time we are taking a bit more of a risk in other parts to focus on the risk around the parade”, the borough commander said.

“We have a gold commander now in our special operations room who will be looking at all the boroughs and thinking: Is the presence too low? Should we move stuff round – there are a load of levers they can pull if they need to.”