Watchdog Warns of Potential Repeat of Southport Riots in 2024

According to a police watchdog, there is a concerning possibility that the Southport riots of 2024 could reoccur. The riots broke out last July following the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, and quickly spread to other areas, with mosques, community centers, and hotels housing asylum seekers targeted.

The watchdog, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Sir Andy Cooke, says the police service was not equipped to deal with the repercussions as the disorder rapidly unfolded. He explains that social media and online platforms "amplified false narratives and incited participation at a pace that traditional policing approaches simply could not match." The police intelligence strategy failed to adequately predict the rising threat, and forces had not learned sufficiently from previous instances of disorder.

One year later, Sir Andy warns that the "tools that amplified hatred last summer remain largely unchanged and unregulated." Community tensions persist, and online misinformation continues to spread. He stresses that the police service must modernize its understanding of how disorder develops and spreads in the digital age to prevent a repeat of the Southport riots.