A report examining the causes of the August riots has blamed a lack of confidence in the police for the continuation of the disturbances, and has warned that further riots will happen if “urgent action” is not taken.
“5 Days in August”, an interim report published by the independent Riots, Communities and Victims Panel, found that most people believed police inaction in Tottenham and other areas of London “encouraged people to test reactions in other areas”.
The report also blamed the blanket media coverage for fuelling the riots, and highlighted the role which social media played both in spreading panic and helping the rioters organise. “It seems clear that the spread of rioting was helped both by televised images of police watching people cause damage and looting at will, and by the ability of social media to bring together determined people to act together.”
However, the report also stressed that shutting down such social networks was not the solution. Social media was also used to provide reassurance to communities and to dissuade family members from going out on the streets, and the report warned that “viral silence may have as many dangers as viral noise.”
The August riots began in Tottenham following the shooting of Mark Duggan by police officers from Operation Trident. Three days of riots in London, which peaked on August 8th, were followed by copycat riots in the midlands and the north. The panel estimates that 13,000-15,000 people took part. Of all the cities involved, Manchester saw the second highest rate of riot-related hearings, with 200 having taken place as of October 12th, compared to 1,386 in London.
The report suggested a number of factors which contributed to the riots: “We heard a range of motivations from the need for new trainers to a desire to attack society.” It highlighted the criminalisation of young black and Asian men through ‘stop and search’ tactics (and their resultant hatred of the police), the herd mentality which the riots inspired, and the “disturbing” belief prevalent among many young people that they simply had “no hope and nothing to lose.”
The report also stressed that unless the underlying causes of the riots are addressed, similar disturbances will take place in the future. Research showed that 70% of those tried for rioting were living in the 30% most deprived postcodes in the country, while 30 of the 66 areas that experienced riots were in the 25% most deprived areas in England.
Darra Singh, chair of the panel, said, “While deprivation is not an excuse for criminal behaviour we must seek to tackle the underlying causes of the riots, or they will happen again.”
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