APCC Chair Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said:
“The response to large-scale protests places significant strain on policing resources, piling extra pressure on forces and their ability to deal with the other risks facing their communities. It also has wider consequences on officer welfare and wellbeing with rest days cancelled.
“We welcome the Committee's calls for police forces to be given greater support to manage such events and prevent disorder and for potential new rules requiring organisers to give more notice to enable them to better prepare and develop contingency plans.
“There is always a balance to be struck between the right to peaceful protest and the right of the public to go about their lives safely and without fear. As PCCs, we would welcome a national workforce plan setting out how forces should respond to the acute demands posed by protests while ensuring resources are not diverted away from local communities that have their own crime challenges.”