City of London Police – here to keep you safe this Christmas

Following almost two years of COVID-19 restrictions, many people are looking forward to enjoying all that the festive season will bring.

If you’re celebrating in the City of London or simply spending time here during December, the City of London Police is here to help keep you safe.

You can expect to see uniformed police officers day and night. They will be on hand to prevent crime and provide help and reassurance. They will be supported by plain clothes officers and our mounted and dog units, all working together to help keep people safe during the festive season.

A number of safety initiatives are running throughout December and the new year, complemented by police activity, including:

• Night Safety Hub – a new safe space at St. Botolph's Without Church Hall, Bishopsgate, London, EC2M3TL. Operating in partnership with the City of London Corporation, St John Ambulance and Victim Support. The Night Safety Hub will be a sanctuary for everyone, but especially women, who need advice, support or medical attention, or would like to report a crime. The Night Safety Hub will be open on the following dates and times:
• 10pm on Friday 26 November – 6am on Saturday 27 November
• 10pm on Saturday 27 November - 6am on Sunday 28 November
• 10pm on Thursday 2 December - 6am on Friday 3 December
• 10pm on Friday 3 December - 6am on Saturday 4 December
• 10pm on Saturday 4 December - 6am on Sunday 5 December
• 10pm on Thursday 9 December - 6am on Friday 10 December
• 10pm on Friday 10 December - 6am on Saturday 11 December
• 10pm on Saturday 11December - 6am on Sunday 12 December
• 10pm on Thursday 16 December - 6am on Friday 17 December
• 10pm on Friday 17 December - 6am on Saturday 18 December
• 10pm on Saturday 18 December - 6am on Sunday 19 December
• 10pm on Thursday 23 December - 6am on Friday 24 December
• 10pm on Thursday 30 December - 6am on Friday 31 December  
• 10pm on Friday 31 December - 6am on Saturday 1 January 2022

• Street Safe, an online tool which allows you to report locations where you feel or have felt unsafe in the City. We will use this data to pinpoint hotspots that may need an increased police presence, ensuring officers are in the right place at the right time.
• Ask For Angela, an initiative that provides you with a phrase you can use to get help from staff if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in licensed premises, such as bars and clubs. We have been working with licensees across the City to build relationships with staff, and provide information and training to help keep customers safe.
• Joint working with British Transport Police and the Metropolitan Police Service to help keep you safe on public transport, and in and around transport hubs.
• Police patrols in and around licensed premises to identify individuals who pose a risk, and take action to reduce the opportunity for violence to happen.
• Dispersal zones targeting antisocial behaviour.
• Increased police patrols in busy places, such as shopping areas and transport hubs, using uniformed and plain clothes officers and a range of other police resources. The threat from terrorism is ’severe’, meaning an attack is highly likely. We will be reminding everyone to stay alert, trust their instincts and report anything that doesn’t look right.

These initiatives combined will form Operation Illuminate, our plan to help everyone in the City have a safe festive season.

Detective Chief Superintendent, Becky Riggs, of the City of London Police, said:

“Over the festive season, London is a unique and exciting place to be, with things to do 24 hours a day, and a large number of visitors coming into the Square Mile to enjoy everything it has to offer.

“If you’re here in the City of London, you can expect to see our officers day and night. They will be focusing on keeping you safe, especially if you’re here to enjoy a night out.

“No one wants their celebrations ruined by violence, unwanted sexual behaviour, antisocial behaviour, or their possessions being stolen. It’s our job to help make sure everyone can enjoy the festive season safely.

“We also ask people to play their part in keeping themselves and others safe. We rely on you to be our extra eyes and ears. If you see something that doesn’t look right, report in confidence at gov.uk/ACT, or call 999 in an emergency.

“You won’t be wasting our time. Any piece of information could be important, it is better to be safe and report. You won’t ruin lives, but you might save them. “