A new government report in the United Kingdom (UK) found police were too slow to respond to anti-immigrant riots that rattled the country over the summer. The report shows police underestimated the threat from the protests and the power of misinformation.
In August, a 17-year-old killed three girls and injured eight others during an attack on a dance class in the town of Southport. Soon after, false reports that the British native came to the country illegally sparked anti-immigrant mobs who took to the streets.
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They attacked police, lit fires and looted stores while targeting mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.
Although the report noted eight local police forces demonstrated “immense bravery” while responding to the riots, the chief inspector of policing said the UK police’s national mobilization plan should have been launched three days earlier.
“The professionalism of those leading the response deserves credit,” the chief inspector said. “But the systems and processes they work under need to change.”
Going forward, the report says police should do a better job debunking misinformation.
In this case, that included a post from Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage, an advocate for reducing immigration. Farage spread baseless rumors about the attacker’s background and the idea that law enforcement agencies previously knew about him.
The report says police should have recognized the risk due to events in the year leading up to the riots. The risks include attacks on housing for asylum seekers and what the report called “extreme nationalist sentiment.”
A second report is due in the new year. It will focus on intelligence about the riots and how misinformation fueled their growth.
