Newham police cancelled weekly leave for all officers to ensure the borough was properly policed during today’s public sector strike.
Chief Inspector Gary Brown, a member of the Senior Management Team, was appointed to ensure the impact of the strikes on the community was minimal while officers were drafted to central London to police the main TUC demonstration.
He said: “Like every other borough in London, Newham police are keeping a very close eye on developments throughout the day.
“Several Newham officers have been drafted into central London to police the main TUC demonstration/rally.
“Again, all other London boroughs are also doing this. We have planned for this eventuality and cancelled weekly leave of all officers to allow us to supply staff [for central London] and maintain the service to our community in Newham.”
The industrial action does not affect police officers, who are not allowed to strike by law, but it could affect Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and support staff.
Newham police said all staff turned up for work today and have not experienced distruption to the normal operations, with 999 calls being responded to in the usual way.
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