After the Riots the Final Report of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel
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After the riots The final report of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel The Panel visited 22 areas to see how they were recovering after the riots Contents Foreword 3 Introduction 5 Executivesummary 6 Section 1: Context | 14-28 | 1.1 Asummaryofthefindingsfromourinterimreport 15 Section 2: Building social and economic resilience 29-113 | 2.1 Childrenandparents 36 2.2 Buildingpersonalresilience 48 2.3 Hopesanddreams 58 2.4 Riotsandthebrands 76 2.5 Theusualsuspects 86 2.6 Policeandthepublic 100 2.7 Communityengagement,involvementandcohesion 110 Section 3: Conclusions | 114-118 | Section 4: Appendices | 119-143 | 2 Foreword From Darra Singh, Panel Chair Seven months ago we were shocked by the Europe,withrisingunemployment,particularly images on our television screens. Overfive amongyoungpeople.Thismakesitevenmore daysaround15,000peoplerioted,lootingand pressingthatweworkwithlocalcommunities damagingtowncentresacrossEngland. tocreateaclimateofhope,inwhichthosewho Peoplewereafraidforthemselvesandtheir arenotresilientenoughtocopewiththese families.Tragicallyfivepeoplelosttheirlives challengesaresupported. andmanymorelosttheirbusinessesand Weaskedlocalcommunitiesandvictimsabout homes.Thefinancialcosttothecountrywas whatmorecouldbedonetobuildsocialand aroundhalfabillionpounds. economicresilienceintheirareastoprevent AgainstthisbackdropthePrimeMinister, similarriotshappeningagain.Timeandagain DeputyPrimeMinisterandLeaderofthe thesamethemescameup:alackof OfficialOppositionestablishedtheRiots opportunitiesforyoungpeople;perceptions CommunitiesandVictimsPaneltoinvestigate aboutpoorparentingandalackofshared thecausesoftheriotsandtoconsiderwhat values;aninabilitytopreventre-offending; morecouldbedonetobuildgreatersocialand concernsaboutbrandsandmaterialism;and economicresilienceincommunities. finallyissuesrelatingtoconfidenceinpolicing. TheAugustriotswereunique.Startingin Victimsandaffectedcommunitieswantedto Tottenhamtheyspreadatanunprecedented seeswiftactionandmeaningfulpunishmentfor speedacross66differentareas.Inourinterim thosewhohadbrokenthelaw.Equallythough, reportweworkedwithvictimsand residentswantthesedeep-seatedproblems communitiestoexplorethecausesoftheriots, tackled.Theywanttoensuretherioters(who themotivationsoftheriotersandthequalityof oftenhadpooracademicandlongcriminal responsefromthepoliceandotherpublic records)andthoselikethemcanlivemore services.Wemaderecommendationsfor positivelives.Theyalsowantstepstakento immediateactiontobettermanageour ensurethoseshowingworryingsignsofthe responseshouldsimilarcircumstancesarise. samebehaviouraredivertedfromtakinga similarpath. Ouruniqueresearchsinceshowsthat neighbourhoodsthatsufferedfromriotsare However,residentsdonotfeelpublicservices morepessimisticabouttheirlocalareasand aredoingenoughtoaddressarangeofrelated theopportunitiesforlocalpeoplethanthose issues–frompoorparentingtotruancy,to areasthatdidnotsufferfromriots.Itisclear youthunemployment,totacklingreoffending. throughourintensivecontactwiththemost Theyalsodonotfeelengaged,informedor challengedcommunitiesthatsomefamilies involvedbypublicservicesinfindingand andindividualsareunderconsiderablestress. deliveringthesolutions. Wearelivingthroughaperiodofsubstantial economicchallengeinboththeUKand 3 After the riots: The final report of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel Wehavefoundthatitistooeasyateverystage additionalfinancialcostswillbedifficultto oftheirlivesfortroubledindividualsand justifygiventhecurrenteconomicclimate. forgottenfamiliestofallthroughthegapsof Thevastmajorityofourrecommendations publicserviceprovision.Theyoftenhave involvethebetteruseofexistingresources. multipleissues,whichnosingleagencycan Thecausesoftheriotswerecomplex.Thereis resolve.Someorganisationsareonly noonerecommendationthatwillpreventthem responsibleforchildrenbetweencertainages fromhappeningagain.Buttakentogether,we beforetheybecomesomeoneelse’sconcern believeourrecommendationshelpaddress –soachildis‘managedthrough’ratherthan someoftheunderlyingreasonswhysomany genuinelyhelped.Atanyage,multiple individualsacrossthecountrybecameinvolved organisationsareresponsibleforputting insomeofthemostsignificantdisturbances mattersright.Thismakesitverydifficulttohold thecountryhasseen.Weshouldnotletthis anyonetoaccountforthefailuretoaddress opportunitypass–shoulddisturbances issues.Butthecostoffailureisveryhigh happenagain,victimsandcommunitieswill indeed–totheindividual,tothecommunities askourleaderswhywefailedtorespond theyliveinandtothecountry. effectivelyin2012. Indevelopingthisreportwehaveconsidered ItiswiththiscallforactionthatthePanel howtobetterorganisepublicservicesandhold presentsthisreporttothePrimeMinister, themtoaccount.Wehavealsolookedforways DeputyPrimeMinisterandLeaderofthe tohelpcommunitiesownandhelpsolvethe OfficialOpposition. issuestheyface.Wehavesoughtwherever possibletoavoidtopdownprescription, insteadlookingforwaystosupportlocally accountableandresponsibleinstitutionsthat respondtothewishesofresidents,parents andbusinesses.Weareacutelyawarethatany Members of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel (left to right) Simon Marcus, Heather Rabbatts CBE, Darra Singh OBE (Panel Chair), Baroness Maeve Sherlock OBE 4 Introduction Followingtheriotsthatoccurredintownsand On28November2011,wepublisheda citiesacrossEnglandbetween6August2011 detailedinterimreport,5 Days in August. and10August2011,thePrimeMinister, Thereport,whichissummarisedinSection1, DeputyPrimeMinisterandLeaderofthe exploredtheimmediatecausesand OfficialOppositionestablishedtheRiots consequencesoftheriotsandsetoutour CommunitiesandVictimsPanelandasked recommendationsforimmediateaction, ittoconsider: progressagainstwhichcanbefoundin AppendixC. – whatmayhavemotivatedasmallminority ofpeopletotakepartintheriots; Intheinterimreport,wesetoutsixkeythemes thatwebelievewillcombinetobuildsocialand – whytheriotshappenedinsomeareasand economicresilienceincommunitiesandwhich notothers; wefocusoninthisfinalreport: – howkeypublicservicesengagedwith Thesethemesandourfindingsarepresented communitiesbefore,duringandafter inSection2. theriots; Betweenthecallforevidenceandthe – whatmotivatedlocalpeopletocome publicationofthisfinalreport,wevisited togethertoresistriotsintheirareaorto 24areas(somemorethanonce)andspoke cleanupafterriotshadtakenplace; withthousandsofpeoplewhowereaffected – howcommunitiescanbemademore bytheriotsaswellassomewhowerenot. sociallyandeconomicallyresilientinthe Wesoughtviewsviaradio,television,online futuretopreventfutureproblems;and sourcesandpublicmeetings.Wereceived340 writtenresponsesandsurveyed1,200people – whatcouldhavebeendonedifferentlyto inourNeighbourhoodSurvey. preventormanagetheriots. Wehavewrittenthisreportfromanational FurtherdetailsaboutthePanelmemberscan perspective,soitdoesnotaimtoanalysethe befoundatAnnexA. riotsatalocallevel.Itspurposeistocapture Ourworkbeganincommunitiesaffectedby ouroverarchingfindings,whilsthighlighting theriotson12September2011.Anationalcall importantlocaldifferences. forevidencewasmadeon16September. 5 Executive summary Introduction – wherethecriminaljusticesystempunishes thosewhocommitcrimesbutalsocommits Residentsincommunitieswhereriotstook itselftomakingsure–foralloursakes–that placelastsummerwantrioters–manyof theydon’tdoitagain. whomhadlongcriminalrecords–appropriately punished.However,theyalsobelievethat The answerslieindifferentplaces:someare actionisneededtoensurethatinfuture,these about personalorfamilyresponsibilityand individualsandthosedisplayingworryingsigns others areaboutwhatthestateortheprivateor ofsimilarbehaviourcanplayapositiverolein voluntary sectorsshoulddobetterordifferently. theirareas.Whenpeoplefeeltheyhaveno Inourinterimreport,wesetoutsixkeyareas reasontostayoutoftroubletheconsequences thatwebelievewillcombinetobuildsocial canbedevastating.Wemustgiveeveryonea andeconomicresilienceincommunitiesand stakeinsociety.Wehavefocusedourefforts whichwefocusoninthisfinalreport–children ondoingjustthat. and parents, building personal resilience, Thekeytoavoidingfutureriotsistohave hopes and dreams, riots and the brands,the communitiesthatwork: usual suspects and the police and the public. – whereeveryonefeelstheyhaveastakein Childrenandparents society; We heardfrommanycommunitieswhofeelthat – whereindividualsrespecteachotherandthe rioter behaviourcouldultimatelybeascribedto placetheylivein; poor parenting.Weneedtoconsiderwhatcan – wherepublicservicesworktogetherand be o donet ensurethatallchildrengettheright withthevoluntarysectortospotthosewho support, controlandguidancefromparentsor arestrugglingatanearlystageandhelp guardianso t givethemthebestpossiblechance them; of makingthemostoftheirlives. – whereopportunitiesareavailabletoall, Governmenthasrecentlyestablisheda especiallyyoungpeople; TroubledFamiliesProgramme(TFP)–an intensiveschemetoaddresstheneedsofthe – whereparentsandschoolsensurechildren 120,000mostchallengedfamilies.1Wesupport developthevalues,skillsandcharacterto theworkofTFPbuttheoverlapwithriotersis maketherightchoicesatcrucialmoments; limited.Inapollof80localauthorities – wherethepoliceandthepublicwork conductedbythePanel,onlyfivepercentfelt togethertosupportthemaintenanceoflaw therewasagreatdealofoverlapbetweenthe andorder;and troubledfamiliesandrioterfamilies. 1 The figure of 120,000 comes originally from research carried out by the Cabinet Office based Social Exclusion Task Force, using data from the Families and Children Study. 6 Executive summary Whiletheactualoverlapmightbehigher,our lives.Publicservicesshouldtakestepsto evidencesuggeststhatasignificantconnection ensureallchildrenhaveapositiverole