Leicester police chief accused of being ‘absent’ during disturbances
LEICESTER police chief is accused of ‘masterful inactivity’ and showing ‘lack of engagement’ with communities during the communal unrest in the city in the past few months, according to a report.
Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Rupert Matthews was also accused by his predecessor Lord Willy Bach of being absent during the violent disorder in the city, reported Leicester Mercury.
According to reports, Matthews was ‘absent’ when unlawful events happened in the city.
As many as 61 arrests were made in the wake of the violence and disorder involving members of Hindu and Muslim communities in Leicester between August and September 2022. Tensions erupted after a cricket match between India and Pakistan played in Dubai on August 28.
Labour peer Lord Bach, who held the post of PCC from 2016 until 2021, brought the ‘inaction from the police boss’ to the attention of the Home Office during debate in the House of Lords on October 31.
Matthews, who became PCC last year, strongly defended his position, saying that ‘he had decided that the disturbances in east Leicester were an operational priority, not a platform for political grandstanding’.
“Surely it should be the priority of every PCC to intervene and do what they can to prevent, stop and sort out community unrest of this nature by decreasing tensions, talking to the various leaders and bringing people together,” Lord Bach is reported to have said in the debate about plans to review the powers and functions of PCCs.
“Apart from a brief statement and a silent attendance at a posttroubles meeting with the city mayor, he frankly kept out of it, finding displacement activities.”
He added that the alleged absence of Matthews during the unrest was noted by a number of ‘senior people’.
In a statement on September 18, a day after an ‘unauthorised protest’ which turned hostile and violent, the police chief claimed that he was ‘talking to community leaders’ to restore peace.
While responding to Lord Bach’s criticism, Matthews said that he is focusing on ensuring that the police had the resources necessary to keep people safe as he believes in practical solutions to such problems.
“Public safety is paramount, which is why, having listened to the views of many stakeholders and local community leaders, I have agreed to fund additional CCTV provision for east Leicester worth £53,000. That investment will deliver tangible outcomes... and help identify those who commit crimes of any kind in the area,” he was quoted as saying by the