Police will be ‘absolutely exhausted’ if far-right riots continue all summer
Police forces across the UK will be ‘absolutely exhausted’ if far-right rioting continues throughout the summer, it’s been warned.
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth raised her concerns at a press conference discussing the violent disorder in Sunderland on Friday night, in which four police officers were injured and 10 people have been arrested so far.
From London to Hartlepool there have been several far-right demonstrations held across England so far, with more planned across the weekend from Belfast to Portsmouth.
The rioting has been sparked following an attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on Monday in which three little girls died and more were injured.
Several police officers have been injured during clashes with the protesters so far, with four injured in Sunderland last night and more hospitalised in Southport and London.
But as the protests continue, Susan worries that our police forces will struggle to cope if unrest lasts too much longer.
Asked if the protests in Sunderland last night took Northumbria Police by surprise last night, she said: ‘This was not something that took the police force by surprise, this was something that there was a very clear plan behind how we responded to it and not make it worse.
‘I will continue to support the police in doing that, I will continue to have the conversations with government.’
Discussing the resources available to police the demonstration, she explained: ‘There are limited resources across the whole country and at the moment police forces are supporting each other.
‘In Northumbria, peoples’ rest days have been cancelled. People were working through the night last night and are back on working today.
‘Every bit of resource we have got is targeted at keeping people safe and protecting our local economy and businesses.
‘I think there was enough police, yes, and when you’re dealing with that level of violence and criminality in some ways it doesn’t matter how many officers you’ve got out there, that is going to run its course, like it did.
‘My concern is that the police forces nationally are going to be absolutely exhausted if this continues through the summer.’
Country-wide there are fewer police officers now than there were in 2010 – which has raised concerns that there will not be enough officers to manage sustained rioting and disorder.
‘If you ask me I will always say we need more police officer, in the same way that we need more teachers and youth workers and doctors and nurses,’ Susan said.
‘But we work with what we’ve got and we work effectively with what we’ve got.
‘We are still down on police numbers from where we were in 2010, we’re dealing with crime and criminality that is different as well to 2010.
‘I will as well as lobbying for instant stuff, I will continue to lobby for better funding for the police force.’
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