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| Amid the riots, handshakes and Hobnobs cheered police | Amid the riots, handshakes and Hobnobs cheered police |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| During his 19-hour shift the previous day, the 32-year-old sergeant had seen his police van set upon by rioters, one of whom was wielding a golf club. The next evening he was deployed to protect the police station in Toxteth. As he stood with colleagues in a ring around the boarded-up building, a man stopped his car, got out and started walking towards them. The sergeant prepared himself for another confrontation. Experience suggested they would get an earful of abuse, at best. | During his 19-hour shift the previous day, the 32-year-old sergeant had seen his police van set upon by rioters, one of whom was wielding a golf club. The next evening he was deployed to protect the police station in Toxteth. As he stood with colleagues in a ring around the boarded-up building, a man stopped his car, got out and started walking towards them. The sergeant prepared himself for another confrontation. Experience suggested they would get an earful of abuse, at best. |
| In addition to reliving last summer's unrest, a number of police officers interviewed for the Reading the Riots project referred to the abuse experienced in their everyday working lives. "Unfortunately in this job, you don't even meet nice people," one said. "In all honesty, unless they're dead – that's the only time you meet nice people." | In addition to reliving last summer's unrest, a number of police officers interviewed for the Reading the Riots project referred to the abuse experienced in their everyday working lives. "Unfortunately in this job, you don't even meet nice people," one said. "In all honesty, unless they're dead – that's the only time you meet nice people." |
| Another, discussing public attitudes towards the police, said: "I've lost count of [the number of] people who said: 'It's only cos you've got a uniform … if you didn't have the uniform on, I'd come and fuck you and this, that and the other … I hope your wife dies of cancer and your kids die of cancer.'" | Another, discussing public attitudes towards the police, said: "I've lost count of [the number of] people who said: 'It's only cos you've got a uniform … if you didn't have the uniform on, I'd come and fuck you and this, that and the other … I hope your wife dies of cancer and your kids die of cancer.'" |
| Hardly surprising, then, that the officers outside the Liverpool station expected abuse as the unidentified man approached their line. "He had, like, a purposeful walk on him," the sergeant recalled, "and you could hear all the bobbies from my van saying: 'Oh, what's this fellow want now?', thinking he was going to have a whinge at us." | Hardly surprising, then, that the officers outside the Liverpool station expected abuse as the unidentified man approached their line. "He had, like, a purposeful walk on him," the sergeant recalled, "and you could hear all the bobbies from my van saying: 'Oh, what's this fellow want now?', thinking he was going to have a whinge at us." |
| The man was carrying a plastic bag but, instead of giving the officers abuse, he offered them Hobnobs. "[The bag] was filled to the brim with biscuits … he's literally been to the Tesco's around the corner – and he said: 'Thanks very much for what you're doing, I've bought you some biscuits.'" | The man was carrying a plastic bag but, instead of giving the officers abuse, he offered them Hobnobs. "[The bag] was filled to the brim with biscuits … he's literally been to the Tesco's around the corner – and he said: 'Thanks very much for what you're doing, I've bought you some biscuits.'" |
| Criticisms of the police's handling of the riots have been widely covered, but the many spontaneous demonstrations of support shown to officers in the immediate aftermath of the disorder have gone largely unreported. | Criticisms of the police's handling of the riots have been widely covered, but the many spontaneous demonstrations of support shown to officers in the immediate aftermath of the disorder have gone largely unreported. |
| "We were going past pubs on blue lights and people were coming out and clapping us – it was absolutely amazing," said a 33-year-old inspector in the Metropolitan police. "At one point, we stopped at traffic lights and this guy came up to the [van] window and said: 'Have my cigarettes.'" A short while before, the same inspector had spent hours under a hail of missiles, including petrol bombs, on a street in Hackney. | "We were going past pubs on blue lights and people were coming out and clapping us – it was absolutely amazing," said a 33-year-old inspector in the Metropolitan police. "At one point, we stopped at traffic lights and this guy came up to the [van] window and said: 'Have my cigarettes.'" A short while before, the same inspector had spent hours under a hail of missiles, including petrol bombs, on a street in Hackney. |
| Police interviewees described their surprise at the backing they got during the riots from communities that were not traditionally so supportive. An acting sergeant in Liverpool recalled: "When we went to get our food or get refreshments, people would hug us and start crying because we saved their business … This was in areas which traditionally [show] a bit of ill-feeling towards the police, so it was nice to get that." | Police interviewees described their surprise at the backing they got during the riots from communities that were not traditionally so supportive. An acting sergeant in Liverpool recalled: "When we went to get our food or get refreshments, people would hug us and start crying because we saved their business … This was in areas which traditionally [show] a bit of ill-feeling towards the police, so it was nice to get that." |
| In a similar vein, a female constable who had been on duty in Birmingham city centre during the riots said: "Normally we get people spitting at us and being horrible to us, being scared of us and not looking at us. So for them to actually engage with us, it was really, really nice. That was really rewarding." | In a similar vein, a female constable who had been on duty in Birmingham city centre during the riots said: "Normally we get people spitting at us and being horrible to us, being scared of us and not looking at us. So for them to actually engage with us, it was really, really nice. That was really rewarding." |
| Police on patrol, sometimes in full riot gear, found themselves being offered bottles of water, tea and toast, even beer. Officers reported getting handshakes and thumbs-up as they walked or drove around riot-hit areas. Bunches of flowers, boxes of chocolates and cases of wine were left at some police stations. | Police on patrol, sometimes in full riot gear, found themselves being offered bottles of water, tea and toast, even beer. Officers reported getting handshakes and thumbs-up as they walked or drove around riot-hit areas. Bunches of flowers, boxes of chocolates and cases of wine were left at some police stations. |
| One woman drove more than hour from Stafford to Manchester police station, arriving at about 11pm, to deliver homemade cakes and jugs of tea. "The tea was cold by this point," said a 28-year-old constable, "but I weren't going to complain about that. I was totally overwhelmed by it." The woman declined an offer to post the jugs back to her afterwards, and the constable now has one "at home as a little keepsake because I thought it was such a nice gesture". | One woman drove more than hour from Stafford to Manchester police station, arriving at about 11pm, to deliver homemade cakes and jugs of tea. "The tea was cold by this point," said a 28-year-old constable, "but I weren't going to complain about that. I was totally overwhelmed by it." The woman declined an offer to post the jugs back to her afterwards, and the constable now has one "at home as a little keepsake because I thought it was such a nice gesture". |
| Some police officers said such generosity, rather than the extreme violence, was their abiding memory of the riots. Adrian Roberts, a 46-year-old Met chief superintendent with more than 20 years' experience, said: "When I went back to my borough and walked the streets, the overwhelming, heartfelt support was just incredible – something I've never experienced in my career." | Some police officers said such generosity, rather than the extreme violence, was their abiding memory of the riots. Adrian Roberts, a 46-year-old Met chief superintendent with more than 20 years' experience, said: "When I went back to my borough and walked the streets, the overwhelming, heartfelt support was just incredible – something I've never experienced in my career." |
| Roberts had spent the previous four nights as the Met's silver commander, working 12-hour shifts in its control centre in Lambeth. | Roberts had spent the previous four nights as the Met's silver commander, working 12-hour shifts in its control centre in Lambeth. |
| A 46-year-old constable from Liverpool's controversial Matrix public order division said that by the end of the week of disturbances, public support in the city had reached levels not experienced in 40 years. "We were almost seen as if we could do no wrong." | A 46-year-old constable from Liverpool's controversial Matrix public order division said that by the end of the week of disturbances, public support in the city had reached levels not experienced in 40 years. "We were almost seen as if we could do no wrong." |
| Other officers, though, said the change in public mood was shortlived. A Manchester constable who had never experienced "so much well-wishing from the public" said: "It was forgotten three days later, because they all hate the cops anyway. But on that particular day, they liked us." | Other officers, though, said the change in public mood was shortlived. A Manchester constable who had never experienced "so much well-wishing from the public" said: "It was forgotten three days later, because they all hate the cops anyway. But on that particular day, they liked us." |
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