Police Chief Calls for Space for Operational Independence Amid Protest Dispute

The chairman of NPCC said it’s ’really important that the public debate doesn’t feature in our operational decision making' ahead of rally on Armistice Day.
Police Chief Calls for Space for Operational Independence Amid Protest Dispute
Police officers and protesters in Parliament Square during the 'March For Palestine' in London on Oct. 28, 2023 Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images
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Police need space to make independent operational decisions, a police chief said on Thursday ahead of a controversial pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day.

Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said it’s “really important that the public debate doesn’t feature in our operational decision-making” because it would “fundamentally undermine” how policing works in the UK.