Member News
By Tony Grew - 19th September 2011
The Liberal Democrat candidate for mayor of London has criticised the Metropolitan police’s handling of August’s civil disorder.
Brian Paddick, a former senior Met officer, said Londoners "do not feel that it was effective, co-ordinated action in London, particularly not on the Saturday and Sunday night".
He was speaking during the debate on a motion on the riots at the Lib Dem party conference in Birmingham.
Paddick criticised his former colleagues for not having enough officers on the streets who were trained for riot situations and for not arresting looters and rioters at the scene, "rather than relying on CCTV images afterwards".
"With pictures of looters walking out of shops with their ill-gotten gains, walking past police officers unchallenged, being beamed around the country, was what I believe resulted in copycat violence, not only in other parts of London, but in other parts of the country."
The Lib Dem conference passed an emergency motion condemned the August riots in English cities as "unjustified and outright criminality and understands and regrets the deep trauma caused to the residents and businesses affected, particularly the families of those who died".
However, they called for "continued separation of politicians and police operational control and for there to be stronger checks and balances on any elected police commissioners by locally elected representatives than are currently set out in legislation".
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Tom Brake said:
"The motion we have passed today avoids a knee-jerk response to last month’s disturbances.
"Complex problems require carefully considered solutions not sound bites.
"Liberal Democrats will continue to push for effective evidence-based policies to cut crime and boost rehabilitation.
"That means tough sentences for serious crimes and tough community sentences for low level offenders."
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.