Policing Large Scale Disorder: Lessons from the disturbances of ...

Home Affairs Committee: Evidence Ev w63
6. In addition, there are references to The Principle of Human Rights both in the G20 Review Report,
Adapting to Protest,(13) and in the ACPO Manual of Guidance on Keeping the Peace.(14) But what are these
principles relating to Human Rights? The Human Rights Act 1998 makes no reference to principles; rather it
refers to articles, rights and freedoms.
7. The latest edition of the Manual of Guidance on Keeping the Peace lists five, what it terms as Core
Principles in relation to public order policing:
— Policing Style and Tone.
— Communication.
— Use of the Conflict Management Model.
— Command.
— Proportionate Responses.(15)
8. The argument here is that, at the most, only three of these could be termed Core Principles. Policing Style
and Tone and Use of the Conflict Management Model are methods by which the strategy and objectives are
achieved. HMCIC refers to The Principle of Proportionality but, whichever term is used, it is merely one way
of achieving consent and balance. Also the ACPO manual has changed the wording used by HMCIC from the
Principle of Proportionality to the Principle of Proportionate Responses.
9. The HMCIC Report, “Adapting to Protest—Nurturing the British Model of Policing”, states that “the
British model of policing places a high value on tolerance and winning the consent of the public”.(16) It is
suggested that this comes within the generally accepted principle of Consent and Balance. Later, it refers to
the fact that there is “no consistent core doctrine on police use of force”(17) and goes on to identify what it
claims are “an overarching set of fundamental principles on the use of force”(18) but, although the principle
of minimum force has existed since the formation of the modern police service in 1829, no mention is made
of it in the ACPO manual as a principle.
10. However, the Code of Practice on Police Use of Firearms and Less Lethal Weapons, in its objectives,
firstly suggests that it “sets out the basic principles and method of implementation for the selection and
acquisition of firearms and less lethal weapons by the police” but goes on to suggest that the code will “ensure
the observance of overarching principles”.(19)
11. The question for the Committee is, do the police act on principles, core principles, basic principles,
fundamental principles or overarching principles, and, if all five are appropriate, what is the difference between
each? The impression given is that there is no standard terminology within the Police Service with regard to
the principles of policing, particularly as they apply to public order policing.
12. For public disorder is strategy is generally defined as the overall plan to combine and direct resources
towards policing a potential disorderly situation, and to deal effectively should disorder occur. Tactics are
generally defined as the method of actual deployment and redeployment of resources on the ground to achieve
the desired objective.
13. The dividing line between strategy and tactics is never easy to understand as was highlighted in the
House of Commons Home Affairs Committee report on the Policing of the G20 Protests. For instance, the
report suggests that “containment” is both: a strategy(20) and a tactic,(21) going as far as to suggest at one
point that “From a tactical perspective, a containment strategy has much to recommend ...”(22). Police officers
who gave evidence to the Committee were, however, quite clear that containment is a tactic.(23)
The techniques used by the police to quell rioting
14. Preserving or restoring public tranquillity, or “the Queen’s Peace” is, one of the most important and
difficult functions required of the modern police service, since its inception in 1829. It seems strange, therefore,
that the study of serious disorder—its causes, its effects and above all, the policing of it—is still regarded by
many within the Police Service as a rather perverse and not-to-be encouraged pursuit. This view is supported
by HMCIC who found that between 16% and 22% of police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
could not provide a minimal accredited public order command structure.(24) With all the examples of disorders
there is no excuse for police forces failing to respond positively to the challenges disorder brings. The
Committee may wish take further evidence on the HMCIC figures quoted.
15. The policing of modern public disorder is both an art and a science. Science can be described as the
application of knowledge acquired by observation and experiment, critically tested, systemised and brought
under general principles. Many of the incidents that occur during an outbreak of serious public disorder can
be predicted. For instance, the use of petrol bombs and other missiles; rioters using the balconies and walkways
of a large block of flats from which to attack the police; the building of barricades; the damage and looting of
property. It should be possible to observe these events, and to experiment and critically test police responses
to them to discover which are the most effective, before incorporating them into a response system and forming
general guidelines for their use.
16. An art can be described as the application of practical skills guided by principles. The Police Service
needs to identify the principles under which serious public disorder will be policed and these should be based