A letter from Chief Constable Mark Roberts

An update on the current disorder from Mark Roberts, Cheshire's Chief Constable...

You will be well aware of the current ongoing disorder around the country which as yet has not majorly impacted on us in Cheshire, though our officers have been in the thick of serious incidents in Merseyside and South Yorkshire. That said, as you would expect we have significantly increased the number of officers on duty both to protect the public in Cheshire and support other forces.

All of our potentially vulnerable locations feature on patrol plans and have been risk assessed. I must stress at this time there is nothing to suggest serious disorder is planned in Cheshire. That said, things can evolve rapidly, and we are prepared not complacent. At times this week we have had, and will have around, 1,400 officers on duty ready to respond. This includes our beat officers who are on 12 hour shifts to reassure our local communities.

As you would expect we are actively monitoring social media locally and more widely on a national basis – if you see something on social media, so can we. As a preventative step we have Section 60 Enhanced Search Powers and Dispersal Orders in Warrington, Widnes, and Crewe – this is so that officers can instantly disrupt any groups which may start to gather, not as a response to a specific exigent threat.

We have had sporadic incidents both on the streets and online where individuals have engaged in threats, hate crime, and seeking to encourage others to commit acts of violence; where that has occurred, we have acted swiftly and so far arrested 11 people who will be charged and put before the courts to be held accountable for their actions. Reassuringly, the overwhelming majority of our public have ignored or shouted down the agitators which speaks volumes about the genuine community spirit in Cheshire. Our officers have been welcomed by the public and been brought drinks and sweets where they have been deployed at holding points.

Understandably, some people in our communities are anxious. This is particularly so for those who engage with social media. Social media misinformation has been widespread and has unfortunately translated into people making unnecessary calls to the police. Yesterday, in the late afternoon the volume of calls to the Force Control Centre became quite staggering. We are aware that rumours of riots were reported within local communities and partner agencies in both Warrington and Crewe. The sentiment was felt so strongly in communities that shops closed early and partners sent staff home early in some places.

To be clear, nothing beyond normal policing incidents happened. From my own experience as the Police Public Order Commander dealing with the 2011 riots in Manchester and Salford, I know that rumours can lead to shops closing, a sense of expectation building, and actual disorder occurring in that void. We need to ensure that our normal policing service is maintained, which we are doing, but significant volumes of false calls, albeit with the right intentions, delay our ability to respond to genuine callers. As such I would ask for your support in reassuring the public with the following key messages:

Cheshire Constabulary is well prepared to deal with any issues which emerge within the county as well as assisting colleagues nationally.

We are maintaining our excellent service to the public of Cheshire regardless of national events.

Please don’t panic with regards to rumours you may see on social media or feel the need to contact us – if you can see it, we will as well, risk assess the information, and act IF appropriate.

Please don’t call us unnecessarily to report rumour or speculation – you could be delaying the response to someone who urgently needs us.

If you do need us to report an actual incident or report a crime, contact us as normal and we will respond as we normally would.

Thank you for your ongoing support and please be assured the whole Constabulary are working with commitment, dedication, and courage to keep Cheshire safe.

Mark Roberts Chief Constable,

Lead Football Policing & Covert Legislation and Guidance Group.