Sussex Police are once again responsible for policing this year’s Labour Party Political Conference which is scheduled to take place in Brighton between Saturday 26 September and Thursday 1 October 2009. As always with these party conferences, a significant security operation will be put in place. Sussex Police refer to this policing operation as Operation Otter.
For this year’s Operation Otter I have responsibility for planning for Public Order events as we anticipate there will be a number of organisations wishing to attend Brighton to protest and demonstrate, or to more generally draw attention to their cause. In the past the vast majority of such demonstrations have been peaceful and we have worked with the organisers to ensure attendees have the opportunity to voice and demonstrate their concerns, within the obvious boundaries of the overall operation.
I am aware that your organisation have demonstrated at previous party conferences or may be seeking to do so this year and I am therefore writing to you to ask that if you are intending to take such action, could you please contact my planning officer, PC Stuart McConachie via and of the following details:–
PC Stuart McConachie, Operation Otter Planning Team, Brighton Police Station, John Street, Brighton, East Sussex
Telephone: 0845 60 70 999 Ext. 50801
Mobile No. 07920740974
Email: OtterPub.Ord@sussex.pnn.police.uk
Once we receive contact from you, Stuart will arrange a meeting to discuss your intentions and hopefully we can then work together to ensure a peaceful and positive demonstration/protest.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Cliff Parrott
T/Chief Superintendent
Key Task Commander for Operation Otter –
Public Order