Further update on incidents of violent disorder across the country

The violent disorder we have seen in other parts of the country should be deeply concerning for all of us. Such violence, particularly attacks aimed at the police, are never acceptable and should be condemned by everyone.

Thames Valley is one of the largest police forces in the country and I am proud that officers locally have been supporting colleagues across the country to maintain order. This important sharing of resources between police forces has been described as a “standing army” but we need to recognise that these officers are being drawn from other duties. We all want the police to be continuing to drive down crime in our communities, yet this continued disturbance inevitably impacts on day-to-day policing.

We are used to seeing protests in Thames Valley and as always these are well managed by the police. Over the last week or so we have seen only a handful of peaceful protests and whilst we will all be concerned about scenes elsewhere; I hope we will see continued calm on our streets locally.

The police continue to prepare for all contingencies as the public would expect, including potential issues in Thames Valley as well as supporting colleagues elsewhere. This morning, I met with other criminal justice agencies to ensure they have contingency plans in place and have spoken to councillors and MPs to reassure them of the preparations that are ongoing. There is a great deal of misinformation about potential disorder which only heightens people’s concerns, and I would urge everyone to be careful about what they share on social media. The police are carefully assessing any intelligence to ensure they can keep the public safe.

I am hugely grateful to the officers who have supported other police forces and have had to face violence in dealing with this clear criminality. I know the men and women of Thames Valley Police will continue to address any threats with bravery and impartiality.

Thames Valley Police have a proven record of managing protest fairly and tackling disorder. I am confident that the Force will continue to police without fear or favour. Violence and disorder will not be tolerated whoever is responsible.