A police and crime commissioner has been criticised for saying “protest groups” in the wake of the Southport stabbings are focused on “the desire to protect Britain’s sovereignty, the need to uphold British values and in order to do this stop illegal immigration”.
Donna Jones, a Conservative Party politician who has been Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner since 2021 and also chairs the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said “arresting people” is “treating the symptom and not the cause”.
Her statement, published on the Hampshire PCC website, now appears to have been deleted.
Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester Danny Chambers said he was “deeply concerned” about her remarks, adding: “These extreme views make her totally unsuitable to hold this position of responsibility.”
I, as a former CEO of the Association of Police & Crime Commissioners would have heavily advised against a current PCC, let alone the Chair, appearing to justify rioting & criminality that police officers are bravely having to deal with right now
— nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) August 3, 2024
Totally unacceptable pic.twitter.com/Ku3YBoZ28d
Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal said: “I, as a former CEO of the Association of Police & Crime Commissioners, would have heavily advised against a current PCC, let alone the chair, appearing to justify rioting & criminality that police officers are bravely having to deal with right now. Totally unacceptable.”
It comes as ministers insisted police have “all the resources they need” to deal with riots and disorder, amid concerns over the prospect of further violence sweeping across parts of the country.
Courts could sit overnight to ensure “thugs” are brought to justice, while forces have measures in place to draft in extra officers to tackle potential unrest, Dame Diana Johnson indicated.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has given police his “full backing” to take any action necessary to respond to “extremists” attempting to “sow hate” after scenes of disorder in England and Northern Ireland this week.
But concerns have been raised officers may be left unable to deal with other incidents as a result of the need to focus efforts on the prospect of ongoing rioting, with the Police Federation warning: “There is a cost to all this.”
