I predict a riot...

[ditzy_pole]

This morning looking online and through the papers I noticed there seems to be a petition doing the rounds demanding for anyone found to have participated in the looting to have their benefit payments cut

Comments

[malakite]

Should the police have the capability to call on baton rounds and water cannon without having to get Ministerial approval? Hell yes. Should they be allowed to use it at the earliest available opportunity? God no. What policy/threshold/operational procedure should they have in relation to this? A somewhat similar, yet scaled down, version of the firearms regs might be an idea. I doubt few (rational) people will proceed to throw petrol bombs or fire flares at the police if they know that once they've started doing that, the police will be allowed to use baton rounds and water cannon.

Alternatively, instead of baton rounds (and water cannon), modified paintball guns with dye that can only be removed through use of a solvent that only police have access to.

[malakite]

First off - what I said was that the police shouldn't have to ask for Ministerial approval, not that they get to use them without sign off. The decision to deploy water cannon and baton rounds should be an operational one, taken at senior level - say chief inspector or above. Secondly, I also suggested that after their use, it should be subject to review.

As for why they should have them, I believe it is better to have the capability and not use it rather than be scraping around for the capability when you need it.

[wyrdness]

Instead of cutting the rioters benefits or putting them in jail I am firmly convinced the best option would be to make them do community service. That way they actually help the community pick up the pieces and maybe next time they'll be less inclined to smash up stuff they've personally had a hand in.

Cutting benefits will just mean they have to turn to crime, because there certainly aren't enough jobs for them all. Not for those who don't have qualifications and/ or experience. The really crappy jobs don't even pay enough to cover rent most of the time and if you dotake that job every single benefit (bar child support, or whatever it's called these days) is immediately stopped

[wychboy]

definately agree that community service is the way forward - probably be more effective than jail time for most of those involved, especially if they're made to clean up/fix shops/etc that were damaged in the riots.

As for the water cannons/rubber bullets... I'm torn. The water cannons wouldn't have been effective anyway in this situation, and I'm wary of 'non-lethal' things that can kill people, so rubber bullets.... might not be the best idea.
I'm surprised no one suggested tear gas. It's indiscriminate, but...
Then again, not sure I'd go with that either.

[zenmeisterin]

Community service offers the chance of building something to help the community that got disrupted and hopefully help the convicted as well. Maybe they'll learn some skills that they can use to help them get a job. Maybe they'll find some pride in having created something of value. Maybe they'll even have got to know some of the community and start feeling connected in some way.

Anything is better than being tossed in a cell to rot, build further resentment and have the criminal mentality further reinforced.

[kirundo]

Tired of discussing this, nothing against you, lol but Pan has been goin on and on and on about it, lol... Have you seen this article in the guardian already?