Anti-terror raids could spark riots, says police chief

Ben Leapman
The Telegraph
Jun. 25, 2006

Anti-terror raids could spark rioting unless police maintain a strong relationship with the Muslim community, according to a senior officer.

James Hart, who retired on Friday as Commissioner for the City of London Police, compared today's situation with the tensions that led to the Brixton and Broadwater Farm riots in the 1980s - both sparked by bungled police operations.

This month's botched terror raid in Forest Gate, east London, in which a suspect was shot and no evidence found, is widely seen to have set back relations between police and Muslims.

Mr Hart, who served with the Metropolitan Police before joining the smaller City constabulary, said: "If a team of detectives or a rapid entry team want to raid a premises at 5am, the local community can actually come out on the street and stop you. There are more of them than there are of us.

"Just going back in my policing history in the Met - Brixton, Notting Hill Gate, Broadwater Farm - we have seen all this, haven't we?

"Where there is good community engagement… there is far less likely to be an adverse reaction, in my experience. We ignore community quality-of-life issues at our peril." He said that underlying police-community relationships were particularly important following instances of "inappropriate police action, or police action that is perceived to be inappropriate".

The October 1985 riot at Broadwater Farm in Tottenham, north London, in which Pc Keith Blakelock was murdered, erupted after a black woman, Cynthia Jarrett, died during a police raid on her home. Rioting in Brixton, south London, in September 1985 was triggered by the shooting of another black woman, Cherry Groce, by police in her home.

The April 1981 Brixton riots followed Operation Swamp 81, an intensive police campaign targeting robbers and burglars.

Mr Hart, whose force serves the Square Mile financial district, sits on a committee of security chiefs responsible for protecting the capital from terrorist attack.

He declined to comment directly on the mistakes made at Forest Gate, which have added to the pressure on Sir Ian Blair, the embattled Metropolitan Police Commissioner. But he praised his counterpart, declaring: "Ian is a very good friend, he is a very good police officer and a very good commissioner. I value his companionship hugely."

Mr Hart, who headed the City force since 2002, has kept the protective "ring of steel" around the Square Mile built in 1993 to protect against the IRA.

The City force, which specialises in fighting financial crime, has struggled to avoid amalgamation with the Metropolitan Police during the current round of mergers.

The Home Office has yet to announce its final verdict, but Mr Hart has some sympathy with smaller county forces fighting to retain their independence. He said: "There is much merit in some of the other proposals for amalgamation, but equally I think there are some areas where I'm sure the Home Secretary will be wanting to look a little closer - as indeed he said he would, in Parliament on Monday."

• Families of terrorist suspects could be offered police family liaison officers to help them with the trauma of having their homes raided, under proposals drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo). Rob Beckley, Acpo's lead officer on faith issues and an assistant chief constable in Hertfordshire, said the move could help to soothe post-raid tensions.