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Police chiefs have warned about the role that misinformation played in the riots and disorder over the summer and the devastating impact it had on communities.
The comments were made at the APCC and NPCC Partnership Summit in London yesterday, where the Home Secretary set out a ‘new roadmap for policing reform’.
After the tragic killing of three young girls in Southport in July, widespread unrest spilled into violence and disorder in communities across England and Wales.
During the 12-day period of rioting, over 40,000 hours’ worth of shifts for public order officers were stood up to protect communities from the violence and disorder. The estimated cost of the police operation stands at £31.7m, a cost that is expected to rise.
“I am incredibly proud of the way that policing pulled together to deploy officers to protect the communities most at risk.
“The disorder was one of the biggest challenges to national policing since the 2011 riots and was the first time the National Mobilisation Plan was evoked by NPoCC, which releases officers from forces to be deployed to the worst affected areas.”
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams, Head of the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC)
Police chiefs reflected on how exposure to misinformation and harmful ideologies online are influencing the actions of an increasingly younger demographic, as data reveals that 17% of those arrested in relation to the disorder were under the age of 18.
Last week, the Home Affairs Committee launched an inquiry to consider the policing response to the disorder witnessed over the summer.
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