MPS got riot tactics wrong says new commissioner
The commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) acknowledged that the force got its tactic wrong during the riots which spread across the capital in August but said some of the figures quoted around the number of officers deployed were misleading.
The commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) acknowledged that the force got its tactic wrong during the riots which spread across the capital in August but said some of the figures quoted around the number of officers deployed were misleading.
Giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) this week, Bernard Hogan-Howe said rioters saw looting as an opportunity where they could get away with criminal behaviour. However, when questioned over figures which were subsequently quoted claiming only 11 per cent of MPS officers were deployed, he said shift patterns of officers must be taken into consideration.
He said: My fundamental point is that we could do more with the people weve got and in a way the stats are misleading. To say 11 per cent of what sounds like 100 per cent seems like a very low number. Of course if youre in five-shift systems you can never have more than 20 per cent. If you send a misleading figure of 11 per cent all we do is turn people off.
Mr Hogan-Howe told MPs that the force needs to review its intelligence, resources and tactics following the riots, which subsequently took hold in towns and cities across the country.
We need to review our tactics to make sure we are far more flexible than we appeared on those three days. It does seem to me that on the Saturday there was a riot, people were angry, and there was a response against the police and that led to serious disorder.
The press carried that, those images, and on the Sunday and Monday people believed they could get away with it and continued to do it. We have to respond very rigorously at the beginning to stop it getting out of control, he added.
In addition, the HASC was told that the force has launched an inquiry to find the missing diary of its former commissioner, Lord Stevens. The committee heard that the diary, which is in an electronic and written format, may record meetings between the former police chief and News International executives.
We will have a very thorough investigation to find out where it [the diary] is, because sometimes things can get misplaced and were talking about something that happened about four years ago.
Ive asked for two things, first of all a senior police officer and detective to find out where those documents might be. There are two alternatives, ones an electronic version the other ones a written version, Ive asked to make sure weve searched everywhere we can to discover where those documents might be, explained Mr Howe.
Mr Hogan-Howe said the force will need to share its resources both internally and with neighbouring forces to generate maximum savings in light of government cuts announced last October in the Comprehensive Spending Review.
He said there is evidence that some investment in different parts of the MPS could save money if it is shared including in areas such as personnel and IT. Under his leadership and as part of his vision of total policing, Mr Hogan-Howe hinted that he may review a number of middle management positions as he did when he was the chief constable of Merseyside Police, removing significant numbers of chief inspector and superintendent posts.
He also pointed to Tom Winsors review of police pay and conditions as another area in which savings could be made. Part Two of the former rail regulators report is expected to be published in January after delays.