Reinforcements from Police Scotland will not arrive until next week with the potential for further unrest amid anti immigration protests.
The request to the National Police Co-ordination Centre followed what Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones described as “ongoing street violence and disorder” across the city.
However the reinforcements, specifically deployed to assist with the ongoing public disorder and protests and not every day policing, will not be arriving until next week.
ACC Jones said: “We keep under review how long we need them for and it may be a turn over of officers coming into support.
“The initial deployment will give us four extra units, which is in the region of 120 additional officers deployed into our streets and the purpose of that additionality is to make sure that we have the resilience. My officers at the moment are working very long hours and we need to make sure they are resting and able to continue delivering the services that are required.
“They will be arriving next week but that continued support and the need and how long that will be in place for is under review and will be refreshed as the need arises.”
Ms Jones was speaking after the fifth night of disorder that officers have dealt with.
She said incidents included a number of reports of criminal damage to properties, a car set on fire and houses attacked.
Meanwhile, DUP MP Gregory Campbell has reminded people that there is no place for violence in a democracy.
Condemning the recent disorder the East Derry representative said everyone in a leadership role within our community has a duty to play their part in de-escalating this situation.
“Over recent days there has been a united message from across much of the political spectrum that the violence and disorder we have witnessed is wrong, and it must stop now,” he said.
“The intimidation of foreign nationals, on whom our economy and health service depend, is cruel and utterly wrong. The people living here are not to blame for bad Government policy. It is Government policy that needs challenged and changed rather than attacking people and property.
“Everyone in a leadership role within our community has a duty to play their part in de-escalating this situation.”
And he added: “This is a time to be careful in the language we use, reducing tensions not stoking them up further. This includes those attending ‘anti racist’ protests. The proliferation of Palestinian flags at these gatherings is divisive given the ongoing escalation of tensions in the Middle East.”
