Poor parenting, lack of opportunity and of course the Police!

[d9f1c7]

http://news.sky.com/h...tics/article/16197159
I can go with poor parenting but lack of opportunity? C0bblers there are more chances than ever before. The police? How can this be blamed on the police?
Never seen such a load of handwringing liberal balderdash in my life!

[jno]

the police? This would be the police who shot a black man but didn't bother to notify his family - like it or not, this was the flashpoint - and then apparently ignored the riots for a couple of days until they'd got well out of hand. Very poor policing indeed. The live footage of Croydon burning while nobody in authority turned up was pretty chilling.

[naomi24]

I agree, It can't be blamed on the police. That's nonsense. People must take responsibility - and be held accountable - for their own actions.

[d9f1c7]

This was the career criminal, thought to be armed, not surrenduring black drug dealer was it? I see! Silly police should be out nicking speeders I guess, who told them to target the bad guys!? So that makes it alright for lowlives in all classes to riot does it? I see, I really must study the rules more!

[ummmm]

have you ever had an adrenaline (sp) rush geezer?

Nothing to do with parenting...

[naomi24]

I disagree Ummmm. Adrenaline rushes don't cause what happened there.

[sp1814]

D9f1c7

Some very interesting and pertinent points there.

You know Dave Gilmour's son? The one who defaced the cenotaph after getting loaded on drugs last year - what was HIS excuse?

I mean, you know when middle class white kids go on the rampage, hurling fire extinguishers from the top of buildings, what reason do they give? Is it a protest against mummy not buying them the new Land Rover they wanted.

But back to your original question - the police ABSOLUTELY cannot be held accountable for the a tons of the lawless - whether they be black 'drug lords' or white middle class arseh*les who don't realise how lucky they are.

By the way - I'm not trying to make this a 'race thing' - just responding to your post where you bring Duggan's race into the equation.

[d9f1c7]

"....I can go with poor parenting..." - I mean I accept that as one of the reasons, I realise this is diffucult for you ummmm.

[FredPuli43]

Preliminary accounts do make the report sound like "Society is to blame". We may guess what the Daily Mail is going to say!

[d9f1c7]

well jno brought race into it. Anyway you'll note above I said "lowlives in al classes" - I take your point, rioters did include rich kids.

[Gromit]

d9f1c7

The mistake the police made was lying about what had happened when it had been witnessed by several witnesses. Clearly this angered people. If they had coughed up immediately then it might not have got as far as a riot. The police account very quickly unravelled and only enforced their grievances.

This Report does seem like it is from apologists for criminals. The Tottenhan riot started with a genuine grievance. But the police retreat was a free for all for the criminals. Same in Birmingham, Manchester, Salford.

Not sure the parenting excuse holds. Many of the looters were adults.

[d9f1c7]

Yes Gromit I could just about understand if they torched a couple of police cars but to go on a total rampage in several cities over several nights was just opportunist lawlessness.

[Gromit]

Yes, Geezer, I agree.

[sp1814]

d9f1c7

I apologise - didn't read the whole thread thoroughly.

Incidentally - would you consider changing your moniker? d9f1c7 is a real pain to type.

[d9f1c7]

you can call me d9 sp!

[joko]

i dont think the police are to 'blame' ... but they seem to have been the 'cause'

a general impotent anger felt towards the police for all sorts of reasons and perceived injustices is what caused them to finally rear up and react

no defence or excuse whatsoever of course, just thats why some are blaming the police

[grffindoor2011]

People should most certainly be accountable for their own actions. Part of the problem though was little action from the Police early on and a laid back approach. They should have gone in hard and fast with tasers en mass.

Ultimately, the rioters were to blame caused by bad parenting but allowed to get out of control by the police and the government.

[elgreco]

Problem is lack of consequences. Little chance of being arrested and no fear of the punishment if they are.

[emmie]

just what i was thinking, it's nonsense, there are more opportunities now than ever, if only some would wake up and take them. The police get it in the neck no matter what they do, no presence when it all kicks off, or be there in numbers, i wouldn't be a copper for all the tea in china.

[emmie]

on BBC news last evening it gave the statistics just how many of those rioters had previous convictions, so not exactly hard done by are they.

[Quizmonster]

You can hardly blame the police for being laid back, given that their bosses - the Home Secretary and the Mayor of London - didn't even bother packing in their foreign holidays and coming home to see what was going on for some days!