Police Ask Public For Views On Disorder

By Ben Aulakh

The Midlands biggest police force is asking the public for their views on its handling of the violence and disorder that swept Birmingham on August 8 and 9.

West Midlands Police have launched a survey to find out how good a job people feel the force did in dealing with the recent disorder and looting, and whether the rioting affected their confidence in the 

force.

West Midlands’ Police Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe said, “We are very keen to understand how the events of the recent disorder within the West Midlands may have affected our communities and we hope this survey will demonstrate that.

“We would appeal for people in the West Midlands to take part in the brief survey to provide us with some useful evidence as we move forward.”

A forum was also launched last week to help ensure that views of those affected by the two days of violence are heard in future court proceedings.

The on-line facility, which closes today, gives the public the opportunity to personally record how they have been affected by the events across the region by contributing towards Community Impact Statements.

CIS’s are designed to make sure that courts understand the damage public disorder offences have done to a community, a neighbourhood or individuals.

So far more than 100 such statements have been received from by the police from people in the city.

Officers are now in the process of collating these statements, which will then be handed to magistrates and judges over the coming weeks.

They will be used when appeals are being heard and sentences are being passed by the courts to those involved in the rioting.

The police will use excerpts of the these statements, received both from people and business, to help paint a clear picture of the impact of the disorder.