Leicester riots: At the end of August and the beginning of September, India and Pakistan went bat for bat in the Dubai Stadium at the Asian Cup cricket tournament, a somewhat religious sport where the sporting rivalry between the two countries is at its fiercest. India won the first leg, but Pakistan emerged victorious in the second, making it through to the finals.
Over 4,700 miles from the stadium, supporters’ spirits in the Midlands of Leicester are going through the roof. In a city where Hindus and Muslims have peacefully coexisted for decades, the situation escalates. On Saturday 17th September, riots and violence broke out between Hindus and Muslims. What made people who have peacefully integrated for decades behave in such a way? Mob mentality – the prejudice of a few infected the many!
Hindus paraded and shouted and sang racist chants about Muslims and Muslims gathered to drop a sacred Shivalaya flag from the Hindu temple of Brahma Samaj along Belgrave road, shortly before they set it ablaze. Fuelled by social networks, tensions amplified into weapon-enabled street violence, cross-intimidation, property damage, and police arrests. Riots and protests put Leicester’s Hindu-Muslim balance in jeopardy and the entire city in dire straits.
The potential continuation of the socio-religious unrest means private security professionals in Leicester must be prepped with a tactically sound plan to protect people and property. During such times, Stonewall Security monitors social media, news pieces, and other information sources for planned events to gain prior knowledge of numbers, organizers, and intent. This way, we can establish the threat profile and plan accordingly.
A detailed plan will; lay-out methods for safely de-escalating conflict; how many guards are needed to protect your business’ property, an escape plan for worst-case scenarios, rules of engagement, and security protocols. A proper security presence dissuades scores of protestors from your business; guards should be visible but far enough from hot routes and not engage with demonstrators, whether in support or opposition.
Using armed security brings many advantages. It makes guards more readily capable of defending clients, property, and themselves against grave danger. However in the UK this is not the case so guards would be helping you to make informed security decisions, such as, ensuring the windows and doors are reinforced and that the situation is escalated to the police immediately whilst ensuring the safety of people within your premises.
Guards act as agents of the case owner, with the right to trespass people from the property based on your established criteria. Should anyone flaunt the rules, a guard may consider making an arrest and handing them over to the police for you to press charges. Before doing so, the guard considers what it would accomplish, whether the circumstance demands it and how it can be carried out safely.
Protecting businesses during riots and civil discord requires planning and coordination from all parties: the security agency, the business owner, and the local police authority. Chiefly, our guards act as the eyes, ears, and muscles protecting your interest. By implementing proper defensive tactics, we can manage aggressive behaviours and ensure your clients/staff are protected.
Stonewall Security will position well-trained security around your property’s perimeter and have them authoritatively present themselves to deter rioters from attempting to loot and plunder.
