The Home Affairs Committee has released its report on the police response to the 2024 summer disorder.
The report praises police officers and staff for their dedication during last summer's unrest, despite facing significant risks and injuries. It condemns the violence encountered as unacceptable and recognises systemic issues arising from outdated structures, emphasising the need for reform. This aligns with recent commitments made by NPCC Chair Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, who has shared his vision for a new era of policing.
The Committee's recommendations, which include strategies for national mobilisation and tackling disinformation on social media, are considered timely and crucial for enhancing policing effectiveness. The report dismisses claims of ‘two-tier policing’ and acknowledges the complexity of responding to such unprecedented events. These findings will contribute to ongoing discussions, with further insights anticipated from the upcoming HMICFRS report.
Chief Constable BJ Harrington is the NPCC Lead for Operations and the former Gold Commander of Operation Navette. He said:
“The report rightly praises the efforts of police officers and staff in responding to the events of last summer, often in the face of very real risk and injury. Nobody should go to work and be physically assaulted, have bricks and petrol bombs thrown at them, and end up in hospital with potentially life-changing injuries. Unfortunately, that is what happened last year, and it was utterly unacceptable.
“Policing leaders are proud of the work our officers, staff and volunteers do and the sacrifice they make to keep people safe. However, the fact that we are working in a system that was designed more than 60 years ago is far from ideal, and this report highlights the need for reform in specific areas, which aligns with the work of the newly founded Police Reform Programme.
“We know that there are number of obstacles, from a policing perspective, that limit effectiveness in policing across the UK”
“….. so these recommendations are extremely timely and will inform conversations that we are having with partners.
“The Committee cite previous findings from the Inspectorate that the national mobilisation plan could have been made earlier, and this is a helpful recommendation. Hindsight can be useful, and these learnings are important, but we are pleased that the Committee also recognise how complex of a situation this was for policing to respond to, and that on the whole, the service did so well.
“We are pleased that the report robustly disagrees with the notion of ‘two tier policing’, and that the policing response was entirely appropriate given the levels of violence and criminality that were on display. We are also appreciative of the consideration given to the dangerous of mis and disinformation on social media, which remain substantial areas of risk for policing and something that the Inspectorate have been evaluating as part of their own review into the disorder.
“We will carefully consider all of the Committee’s recommendations, noting that the Government will also be waiting for the publication of the second HMICFRS report later this year in order to ascertain how they can support policing in implementing these collective findings.”
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