**Metropolitan Police Step Up Security Measures to Safeguard Women and Girls at London Concerts**
With London bracing itself for a vibrant season of music, the Metropolitan Police have taken unprecedented steps to better protect women and girls attending concerts and large-scale events across the capital this summer. Responding to longstanding concerns about sexual offences at busy venues, the Met have unveiled a sophisticated mix of high-visibility patrols and data-driven tactics aimed at preventing crimes and fostering a safer environment.
The operations come ahead of a packed event calendar, which includes 51 major music gatherings. Wembley Stadium, a centrepiece of London’s live music scene, is expected to welcome more than three million concert-goers alone over the coming months. Recognising the scale of the task, the police service has introduced new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) patrols—officers dedicated to engaging directly with the public, as well as monitoring for suspicious behaviour amid the crowds.
The latest policing efforts were first rolled out at the Beyonce concert held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 5. The initiative immediately led to action: officers escorted out a suspected stalker presenting threatening behaviour, and another individual was detained for ‘upskirting’—a form of sexual offence involving covert photography. The suspect in this latter case remains on bail as investigations continue.
Supporting these patrols is the innovative V100 scheme—a project that harnesses data analytics to identify repeat and high-risk sexual offenders. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ben Russell explained that this approach enables officers to track those considered the most dangerous, targeting the top tier of individuals known for multiple severe assaults. “There are a relatively small number of offenders who drive the most serious crimes. Since we started the V100 initiative, we’ve arrested 177 of our top-risk suspects, with 129 securing convictions for serious offences,” Russell stated.
The strategy is twofold. On one hand, officers are clearly present and available to concert attendees—engaging in conversation, offering reassurance, and providing help where needed. On the other, undercover aspects of the operation enable swift action against individuals whose presence may pose risk to the public. “Much of this won’t be visible to the crowds themselves, but we are actively identifying and removing people who should not be at these events,” Russell clarified.
Enhancements to public protection go beyond presence at venues. The police force has reallocated 565 additional officers and specialists to bolster teams investigating domestic abuse, rape, and other sexual offences. At the same time, the Met has expanded use of live facial recognition technology to quickly identify those wanted for offences or subject to restrictions such as sexual harm prevention orders, ensuring swift intervention if a known risk is detected.
Russell emphasised that the force’s commitment is about more than numbers and arrests—it is about trust. “Protecting women and girls is at the heart of our policing mission, and we’re working closely with government partners to halve such violence over the life of this parliament,” he said. The Met regularly monitors public confidence and works with the mayor’s office to assess whether these efforts are having the desired effect.
Visible arrests and incident reporting underscore the Met’s proactive stance. “If we’re making arrests at events, that shows our strategy is working. But also, if people feel empowered to report crimes, it shows they have faith that police will take action.”
With the vast crowds expected at London’s premier music venues this summer, police acknowledge that some incidents are unfortunately inevitable. However, the force aims to ensure any offences are promptly detected, recorded, and acted upon—cementing a safer, more reassuring environment for everyone attending.