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Q3 2005 |
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Ref:45/09
April 19, 2009
ACPO response on police public order tactics
Sir Ken Jones, ACPO President said:
Our rights to free speech and lawful protest are crucial to the health and strength of our democracy. Facilitating these, and other fundamental rights, is an increasingly difficult task for the police and those who lead them when balanced against the need to ensure that disorder does not break out. It is some years since we have seen outbreaks of unchecked disorder in this country and we should not forget the awful consequences which have followed.
Unlike many other countries we do not have standing "riot police" and using this term does not aid understanding. In policing demonstrations and the like we need to mobilize hundreds, sometimes thousands, of police officers from other work. The so called "riot police" we see on TV are mostly everyday officers from our neighborhoods and communities who would rather be somewhere else. Our officers are trained and deployed according to what works best to deliver people's democratic rights against the rights and needs of the majority who are not involved. It has to be said that there are many who get involved in street protest who are intent on creating riots, damaging property and attacking our officers. The presence of such groups, well organised and determined, is sadly an increasing feature of public protest across Europe. They pose a very real threat to legitimate protestors, public and police. Police officers are only human but know that their standards of behavior in all situations must be beyond reproach, no matter what provocation is offered. Those who cross the line must be dealt with. However there is a need to approach this objectively and look at the issue from all perspectives. And those who do not cross the line, the vast and overwhelming majority, deserve our support.
ACPO with HMIC is already reviewing public order tactic and welcomes a debate on this difficult area of policing. A calm, open and honest debate which laid out, more than we have seen recently, a more balanced appreciation of the ambiguous task we set our officers and those who lead them.
ENDS
ENDS
Notes for Editors
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