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

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August 2011 Introduction Home Affairs Committee: Evidence Ev w5 hilarious and amusing—is it now time to consider outlawing such by-standing, thereby giving the authorities better access to the scenes of disorder? Charge the onlookers! Written evidence submitted by the National Black Police Association (NBPA) The National Black Police Association (NBPA) comprises of 46 Affiliated Associations established within Police Constabularies and Agencies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As a Charity, our objective is to promote good race relations and equality of opportunity within the Police Services of the United Kingdom and the wider community. We work in the interest of the UK Police Services as an integral partner to ensure equitable service for all and for the Black and minority staff whom we represent. We also advocate the needs and expectations of Black and minority ethnic communities by delivering and supporting strategies and initiatives which have a positive impact on all. The NBPA welcome the opportunity to contribute to this inquiry particularly as we have a proven track record of supporting communities and policing at critical difficult moments. Background Riots and disturbances are not new phenomenon in the context of British history, we have documented incidents from 1196 poverty riots through to the most recent incidents triggered in Tottenham following the shooting of Mark Duggan by the Metropolitan Police. Jonnson, in his paper, “the illusion of inclusion,” explains how riots and responses are cyclical, “terribly familiar cycle. The cycle goes something like this. There is a problem which is followed by a conference, the conference is followed by research. The research reinforces what we already know....Then nothing happens” (Hall, 1987, taken from Benyon and Solomos, 1987, p.45). Incidents of note are listed for information: 1958: Violence breaks out in Notting Hill Gate, west London. 1978: Riots in Southall lead to the death of Blair Peach at the hands of the Special Patrol Group (SPG) of the Metropolitan Police. 1981: More than 300 people are injured, including 200 police officers, crowds hurl petrol bombs in Brixton, South London. 1985: Riots in Handsworth, violence break out when a black woman, Cherry Groce, is mistakenly shot by police who burst into her home. 1985: Broadwater Farm. PC Keith Blakelock is murdered with knives and machetes during rioting. 5 1993: Stephen Lawrence murdered—persistent campaign by Stephen’s parents Neville and Doreen Lawrence leads to the Labour party commissioning a public inquiry. 1995: Three nights of fighting causes more than £1m worth of damage after gangs of Asian youths run amok in Manningham, Bradford. 1999: Lawrence Inquiry report published—total of 70 recommendations in all and concluded that the Metropolitan Police were Institutionally Racist. 2001: Saw a large scale disturbance erupt in Bradford, West Yorkshire, the battle lines were drawn along that of ethnicity. 2011: On 21 April, there was a riot in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol following a raid by police on a squat named “Telepathic Heights”. 2011: Riots in London and elsewhere, following the shooting of Mark Duggan during a Trident operation. From the cycle we reference a series of reports which contain numerous recommendations (Scarman, 1982, the HMIC thematic series “Winning the Race”, Lawrence 1999, Cantle 2001, 2004 and 2005). The recommendations from these reports, if implemented and maintained would most likely have given us an opportunity to demonstrate their effectiveness. However, as we see the agenda changing, many of the recommendations which sought to challenge the status quo have been ignored, implemented then phased out or identified as impractical or too costly. Including: — Ministerial priority of trust and confidence—Removed. — A representative police service—Not achieved. — Proportionate and fair use of stop and search—Worse than 1999. — Greater police accountability for their actions—IPCC. — Increased equality training—Diversity units disbanded, diversity training minimal. 5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadwater_Farm_riot
Ev w6 Home Affairs Committee: Evidence — Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to have a HM Inspectorate for Equality and Diversity—Removed assistant HM Inspectorate for Race and Diversity. — Community Cohesion agenda—Absent from policing policies. Corporate Memory In 1985 Cherry Groce, was shot by police, local residents went to Tottenham police station requesting answers. The information was not provided, later that day disturbances grew into riots. In 2011 Mark Duggan, was shot by police, local residents went to Tottenham police station requesting answers. The information was not provided, later that day disturbances grew into riots. It is imperative in a policing environment as complex as London that officers and staff have cognisance of the potential for incidents to escalate based on local factors. We are yet to hear how Operation Trident and CO19 (Specialist Firearm Command branch of the Metropolitan Police Service) came to be in the situation which resulted in the death of Mark Duggan—which we will not comment on—we are however, concerned by the initial information that suggested that there had been an exchange of gunfire, when it was known that minutes before Duggan was tweeting that he was “being followed by the feds”. By the time corrective information had been officially released it was too late for many who had summized that the police had not told the truth again. It is absolutely crucial that information provided by the police is accurate and timely This prevents false representations and encourages the public to trust the content of the information provided, this is currently not the case and maybe linked to public statements made by the police in the cases of Jean Charles DeMenezes, and Ian Tomlinson which were both found to be inaccurate. The NBPA review 2009 “ten years after Lawrence” by Crichlow identifies UK wide concerns of the retrograde steps with regard to minority ethnic policing issues and reluctance of the police service to accept that Institutional racism continues to be an issue: — Majority of respondents to the NBPA survey stated that trust and confidence on the part of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Officers/Staff and BME Community in their force remained problematic. — This analysis paints a picture of inconsistency across the country in relation to the implementation of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Recommendations. — Other peculiar stereotypical notions have emerged over time through narratives, most notably the notion that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff are treated more favourably than white members of staff, this appears to have contributed to the phenomenon of members of staff being subjected to unwarranted pressure which potentially leads to unlawful acts of discrimination. Coupled with recent suggestions to delete the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Business (EDHR) portfolio, to mainstream equality and to only formally consult with statutory bodies (ie not the NBPA, British Association for Women in Policing or Gay Police Association etc) it is difficult to picture an inclusive police organisation that consistently has the trust of the public. Although these series of riots started with a Black man being shot, the events in totality were not about Race, although some reports and media responses have attempted to focus in these areas. Neal (2003), highlights how highly charged media reporting on Race issues polarises opinion. Community Cohesion and the Police In response to the “Northern disturbances” in 2001 the Home Secretary established a Ministerial Group on Public Order and Community Cohesion or review team and was established to identify good practice, key policy issues and new and innovative thinking in the field of community cohesion” (Cantle, 2001). Cantle identifies a way forward linked to the community cohesion agenda with additional dimensions to Race. The Commission on Integration and Cohesion (CIC, 2007), “The commission’s” definition of an integrated and cohesive community has stated that it must have: — a defined and widely shared sense of the contribution of different individuals and groups to a future local or national vision; — a strong sense of an individual’s local rights and responsibilities; — a strong sense that people with different backgrounds should experience similar life opportunities and access to services and treatment; — a strong sense of trust in institutions locally, and trust that they will act fairly when arbitrating between different interests and be subject to public scrutiny; — a strong recognition of the contribution of the newly arrived, and of those who have deep attachments to a particular place—focusing on what people have in common; and
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