This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/jul/06/manchester-leeds-riots-police
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Police in the north 'fearful' of public safety over cuts | Police in the north 'fearful' of public safety over cuts |
| (8 days later) | |
| It is now almost a year since the shooting dead of Mark Duggan at the hands of police in Tottenham sparked some of the worst rioting we've seen in modern history. | It is now almost a year since the shooting dead of Mark Duggan at the hands of police in Tottenham sparked some of the worst rioting we've seen in modern history. |
| Initially confined to the capital, they soon spread, if you'd excuse the expression, like a wildfire. | Initially confined to the capital, they soon spread, if you'd excuse the expression, like a wildfire. |
| Across Greater Manchester, gangs were seen rampaging through the streets, looting shops and causing chaos. In Liverpool, one resident in the Toxteth area of the city spoke of feeling "terrified" at the carnage being inflicting on the community by bricks being thrown through windows and cars being set alight. | Across Greater Manchester, gangs were seen rampaging through the streets, looting shops and causing chaos. In Liverpool, one resident in the Toxteth area of the city spoke of feeling "terrified" at the carnage being inflicting on the community by bricks being thrown through windows and cars being set alight. |
| And in Leeds, whilst it managed to avoid the kind of rioting seen elsewhere in the country, tensions were nevertheless raised by a gun attack in the Harehills area of the city. | And in Leeds, whilst it managed to avoid the kind of rioting seen elsewhere in the country, tensions were nevertheless raised by a gun attack in the Harehills area of the city. |
| In the wake of the rioting, the debate over the reasons behind it came thick and fast. Economic depression, a chronic shortage of jobs, simple criminal vandalism and copycat behaviour were all raised as potential reasons. | In the wake of the rioting, the debate over the reasons behind it came thick and fast. Economic depression, a chronic shortage of jobs, simple criminal vandalism and copycat behaviour were all raised as potential reasons. |
| In its assessment, as reported by the Guardian's Fiona Bawdon, the Government established Riots Communities and Victims Panel, chaired by Darra Singh blamed a range of factors including a lack of opportunities for young people, poor parenting, a failure of the justice system to rehabilitate offenders, materialism and suspicion of the police. | In its assessment, as reported by the Guardian's Fiona Bawdon, the Government established Riots Communities and Victims Panel, chaired by Darra Singh blamed a range of factors including a lack of opportunities for young people, poor parenting, a failure of the justice system to rehabilitate offenders, materialism and suspicion of the police. |
| Whatever the reasons may be however, as we fast approach another summer; eyes are now turning to how to prevent a repetition of last's year's scenes of chaos and carnage across northern England. | Whatever the reasons may be however, as we fast approach another summer; eyes are now turning to how to prevent a repetition of last's year's scenes of chaos and carnage across northern England. |
| Whilst the Government's efforts to tackle so called "problem families" may well be laudable, this remains a long term policy goal. When it comes to the here and now, it is the police's ability to respond more effectively to rioting which is now becoming the focus of everyone's attention and which is causing mounting anxiety. | Whilst the Government's efforts to tackle so called "problem families" may well be laudable, this remains a long term policy goal. When it comes to the here and now, it is the police's ability to respond more effectively to rioting which is now becoming the focus of everyone's attention and which is causing mounting anxiety. |
| In the second part of the joint Guardian/LSE Reading the Riots research programme, interviews with 130 police officers nationwide have revealed that police across the North fear that the pressures on their budgets are now having a direct impact on their ability to respond to future disturbances which, they argue, are likely to be a matter of when, not if. | In the second part of the joint Guardian/LSE Reading the Riots research programme, interviews with 130 police officers nationwide have revealed that police across the North fear that the pressures on their budgets are now having a direct impact on their ability to respond to future disturbances which, they argue, are likely to be a matter of when, not if. |
| Asked whether the rioting would occur again, one officer in the Greater Manchester area warned: | Asked whether the rioting would occur again, one officer in the Greater Manchester area warned: |
| "I think if you have bad economic times, hot weather, some sort of an event that sets it off … my answer is: yes, it could. Because I don't think anything has changed between now and last August, and the only thing that's different is people have thought: riots are fun." | "I think if you have bad economic times, hot weather, some sort of an event that sets it off … my answer is: yes, it could. Because I don't think anything has changed between now and last August, and the only thing that's different is people have thought: riots are fun." |
| And with this in mind, despite the repeated assurances of Ministers that frontline services would be protected, it is noticeable just how alarming the cut backs being made by those Northern forces which had to respond to rioting last year are, as contained within the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report on how police forces have coped with the austerity being imposed on them by Whitehall. | And with this in mind, despite the repeated assurances of Ministers that frontline services would be protected, it is noticeable just how alarming the cut backs being made by those Northern forces which had to respond to rioting last year are, as contained within the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report on how police forces have coped with the austerity being imposed on them by Whitehall. |
| In Greater Manchester for example, faced with having to make £135 of savings by 2015, of the 2,460 posts the force plans to get rid of, 1,520 of these will be police officer posts. This represents a 19% reduction in police officer posts, compared with a 10% reduction across England and Wales. In Merseyside the 550 police officer posts (12%) will be lost by 2015 whilst in West Yorkshire the force is gearing up for the loss of 14% of its police posts. | In Greater Manchester for example, faced with having to make £135 of savings by 2015, of the 2,460 posts the force plans to get rid of, 1,520 of these will be police officer posts. This represents a 19% reduction in police officer posts, compared with a 10% reduction across England and Wales. In Merseyside the 550 police officer posts (12%) will be lost by 2015 whilst in West Yorkshire the force is gearing up for the loss of 14% of its police posts. |
| Speaking to The Northerner, Mark Botham, Chairman of the North Yorkshire Police Federation has warned that his members and others in the police force are "fearful for the safety of the public and for themselves" as a result of the cuts being imposed on them whilst Labour's Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd, who will in November be Labour's candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner in Greater Manchester has warned that what he dubs the Government's "reckless cuts" are "really are putting the security of our communities at risk." | Speaking to The Northerner, Mark Botham, Chairman of the North Yorkshire Police Federation has warned that his members and others in the police force are "fearful for the safety of the public and for themselves" as a result of the cuts being imposed on them whilst Labour's Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd, who will in November be Labour's candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner in Greater Manchester has warned that what he dubs the Government's "reckless cuts" are "really are putting the security of our communities at risk." |
| Last year's riots caused pain, destruction and sadly deaths. Solving the societal problems that may have led to them will take time, time which we might not have. With northern forces facing such major cuts to police numbers, Ministers will come under repeated pressure to soften the blow of the austerity programmes. | Last year's riots caused pain, destruction and sadly deaths. Solving the societal problems that may have led to them will take time, time which we might not have. With northern forces facing such major cuts to police numbers, Ministers will come under repeated pressure to soften the blow of the austerity programmes. |
| Whether they respond however is another matter. Having already angered policemen and women across the north over its programme of cuts, pension reforms and controversial appointment of Tom Windsor to become the new Chief Inspector of Constabulary, one wonders what is likely to become the straw that eventually breaks the backs of the police and, in all likelihood, the public as well. | Whether they respond however is another matter. Having already angered policemen and women across the north over its programme of cuts, pension reforms and controversial appointment of Tom Windsor to become the new Chief Inspector of Constabulary, one wonders what is likely to become the straw that eventually breaks the backs of the police and, in all likelihood, the public as well. |
| What do you think? Have you noticed the impact of cuts to police service budgets? Do you have fears about potential future riots as a result of such cuts? | What do you think? Have you noticed the impact of cuts to police service budgets? Do you have fears about potential future riots as a result of such cuts? |
| * Ed Jacobs is a political consultant at the Leeds based Public Affairs Company and devolution correspondent for the centre-left political and policy blog, Left Foot Forward. | * Ed Jacobs is a political consultant at the Leeds based Public Affairs Company and devolution correspondent for the centre-left political and policy blog, Left Foot Forward. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. |