Salus Journal (May 2022)
A review of the police response to riots in France 2005, United Kingdom in 2011, Ferguson 2014, and Baltimore 2015
Abstract
Since the late 1990s, there has been an increased proclivity to demonstrate or riot, with the number, size and frequency of violent protests increasing in the United States, the United Kingdom and most western democracies. The current police response to violent protest and riots is similar across the western world and usually involves authorities moving quickly to control the violence and attempting to restore order. A qualitative case study approach is used to examine the police response to riots that riots that took place in France 2005, London 2011, Ferguson 2014 and Baltimore 2015. The analysis has been developed from a comprehensive review of the literature, including published and unpublished academic articles, mainstream media articles and government and institution research reports. The analysis of the police response to the riots described in the four case studies found that there were ten themes in the police response that were common to all four case studies and that influenced the effectiveness of their response.
