London riots

Recent riots and looting in London and other cities took everyone by a surprise – deprived hooded scum took to the street and the police forces were over-stretched, outnumbered and outmanoeuvred, not being able to be everywhere. Groups of youths attacked the police in running battles, burning cars and buildings, looting shops in few consecutive days/nights by now. What the results of this are likely to be?

It seems the violent riots came in handy in the right moment for the police. It is likely that plans to cut 10.000 police jobs within next two years will be abandoned.

The next thing is that many people will end up being arrested and prosecuted in numbers reaching hundreds in the next weeks, months. This tsunami of criminality will cause difficulties for the justice system. Already those arrested in London have to be taken to the cells outside of London because those in London are already full.

I would also expect some sociological discussions what to do with the problems of poverty, deprivation and gang culture among many youths. Apparently, there is a whole generation of people who have never worked, who stay on benefits, who are eager to commit opportunistic crime, who have no regard to communities they live in.