Police in England are concerned they may face more riots in the near future similar to those that took place in London and other cities last year, according to a report.
Surveyed officers expressed fear that cuts to their agency might leave them unprepared to deal with violent unrest, according to the report, which was conducted by the Guardian newspaper and the London School of Economics. Overall, 130 officers of differing ranks were interviewed for the report.
“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” happen again, a police superintendent from Manchester said, referring to the unrest.
“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,” said the officer.
“We arrested 300 people [in Salford and Manchester] and we sent a powerful message, but a lot of people on the periphery got away with it. Probably, if I was them, I‘d have thought: yeah, I’d do it again, and probably get away with it next time.”
Many police cited an economic downturn and worsening social conditions in parts of England as the reason for future riots.
In the survey, officers expressed astonishment that none of their colleagues were killed during the riots.
Nearly all of the officers said the unrest was the most taxing physical and psychological challenge
they had faced in their careers.
Police will also face another major policing challenge this summer—the Olympic Games.
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