Open letter from Southampton district commander Supt Alex Charge about policing of protests

As the district commander for Southampton, I wanted to write an open letter to all who live, work and study in our city, which I hope will give you an insight into our role as police officers when it comes to protest and our commitments to everyone.

Since the summer, we have seen protests relating to immigration outside the Highfield House Hotel in Portswood, along with marches in the city. The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy in the UK, protected by law and important in upholding everyone's freedom of expression.

We, as police officers, have, on occasion, been asked why we facilitate gatherings, or allow people to gather in certain locations. The answer to this is a simple one: we do so because it is our duty. We are here to uphold the law impartially, policing without fear or favour, and protecting the rights of those who wish to protest whilst also ensuring the safety of those gathering and the wider community.

Facilitating protest does not mean we take a side in any debate. When allegations are made against any individual residing at the hotel, we have investigated these, likewise when concerns are raised about the behaviour of those gathering to protest, we have and continue to carry out enquiries into this; always seeking to ensure the appropriate action is taken.

However, it is important to understand that people exercising their freedom of speech isn't always a crime, although you may disagree with their belief or opinion, and may find it upsetting or offensive. I also want to reiterate that where protest does move over into anti-social behaviour, then we will use our powers to deal with this, as we have done recently in Portswood High Street during one of the protests.

Those who oversee our policing response to these events undergo stringent training and continual professional development, focused on helping them make important decisions in extremely complex situations, all the while balancing the relevant sections of the Human Rights Act and ensuring public safety.

For each protest, our commanders carry out an assessment of the intelligence available to us from the community and from our liaison with protest groups, they seek to ensure we have the right number of officers, with the right skill sets, on duty, and, as I hope you will have seen when we had the large march in the city, if we do foresee the potential for disorder, we will utilise the appropriate powers to manage this. But, these powers do have a high bar, so they are only used at the right time.

So far, since the summer, we have had a very small number of offences linked to the protests reported to us, but if you do witness anything then please do report this to us.

I understand that protests can be challenging. They can disrupt your daily life, stir emotions, and sometimes test people's patience. But I ask for your understanding.

Our role is not to judge the cause, but to uphold the principle that everyone has the right to be heard.
 

Supt Alex Charge
District Commander for Southampton