Recreational Rioting and Looting - A Local Reaction
As we watch appalled as first London and then other cities are subjected to outbreaks of arson, violent looting and theft on an unprecedented scale we wonder what is happening and how we should deal with it. As I wrote this my wife came in with a terrifying story of how last night the daughter of a friend of hers was in a restaurant in Notting Hill when a group of extremely young boys smashed the window, broke in and threatening everyone with baseball bats robbed them all of their money, cards and phones and snatched jewellery off their necks.
This is a personal reaction hoping nothing so vile could happen here, so please respond with a comment.
Of the comments I have heard up to now on TV about what should be done, "bring in the army", "water canon", "more robust policing", "Rubber Bullets". Dianne Abbot MP made good sense in calling for the imposition of curfews in vulnerable areas.
The perpetrators of this criminal violence theft and thuggery are overwhelmingly young men and boys encouraged by some young women and girls. The young men wear hoods, masks and balaclavas to make themselves hard to detect by CCTV, and they communicate via mobile phones. Their motivation is copycat "recreational vandalism". They do it because they think the new technology they have gives them the ability to rapidly swarm into an area and indulge in exciting arson and looting, distract the police with fires, melt away and get away with it. These are the elements to target. Here are some suggestions.
- It should become an offence carrying a heavy fine to walk in the street at night after 7pm with a covered head or face and it should become the right of the police to confiscate the mobile phone on the spot of anyone caught doing that or of the phone of a woman accompanying a man with a covered head.
- All police should be equipped with video cameras for use when on duty on the street to facilitate the identification and record the behaviour of suspects.
- In the present situation the imposition of clearly defined area curfews seems like the best way to use limited resources to stop the outbreak of more attacks.
- Rubber bullets and tasers. It would make sense to use these in situations where a gang suddenly assembles and sets out to break a curfew. The police should not be liable for Injuries sustained by rioters who break a curfew. These are not political protests but criminal life threatening acts of theft and arson.
What of water canon? Usually these are used against political demos where the demonstrators seek to hold their ground. In these twitter led raids on shops and pubs the rioters seek to avoid confrontation or by setting buildings on fire to tie the police up. I think water cannon would not be much use against them.
The Army. Only to be used (with tasers and rubber bullets) if the above approaches are not enough. They are busy enough fighting in Afghanistan as it is.
Policing by Consent. In conditions like this where life and property have been put at risk on an unprecedented scale outside war, those who commit these crimes need to fear the consequences of their actions even before they are brought to see the suffering and misery they bring to their victims and to the society whose values they have betrayed.
If the above actions require new Laws, Parliament should be recalled immediately and a State of Emergency declared. We cannot let this drag on – or we can certainly forget the Olympics. The country has a huge debt and deficit and the world is teetering on the edge of global recession.
Deeper causes behind this? Oh yes there certainly are but they cannot be addressed today while London is burning.
And how are those caught to be treated? The justice and corrections system are about to be overloaded and special measures will be needed. First offenders should not be turned into life-long criminals. These few days will cost the country dear.
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John Baxter
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Reply #1 on : Wed August 10, 2011, 13:48:38
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Reply #3 on : Thu August 11, 2011, 17:02:06
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Reply #4 on : Fri August 12, 2011, 12:42:08
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