Ok, let’s answer “Why don’t you deploy Cops in riot kit immediately when there’s disorder”…👀 It’s a very fair question and one Cops ask themselves frequently too! 🫡 So why do we often deploy Cops in their patrol uniform first? To deploy Cops in ‘Code 2’ or ‘Kit’ or ‘Level Two Kit’ more commonly know to the public as ‘Riot Kit’ we need intelligence in advance. Intelligence that Officers are at significant risk of violence and that they need this PPE to protect them. Intelligence that there might be petrol bombs or flares or fireworks is relevant too because the kit is flame retardant. You may notice Cops wear this kit at significant sporting fixtures for this flare / flammable material issue. 🔥 There’s also the very significant factor that if it’s a spontaneous incident or protest there is limited time to gather that intelligence to plan and deploy Officers in their kit. 🙃 We also have a duty to de-escalate. That is directed by and comes from @CollegeofPolice who are directed by @ukhomeoffice. We are directed on what we can and cannot do in the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) given to us. Already sounding complicated isn’t it? We *have to* consider how the policing approach will affect different communities and whether a significant Police presence is more or less likely to cause disorder. 🤯 There’s also a resilience issue. In #London things are sometimes a bit simpler, we can have Officers on #PublicOrder duties in patrol uniform, and then Officers in Level Two Kit on standby nearby if needed. I don’t know how many Officers were on duty last night in Southport, but that kind of resilience takes a significant number of Cops. So to withdraw the Cops in patrol uniform and get them kitted up can be a complicated and lengthy procedure depending on where their kit is. 😅 Even more complicated, not all Cops are Level Two Public Order trained - it’s voluntary. So we have to take into account that some Cops will need to be withdrawn completely because they cannot wear or use the correct PPE. 🤷🏼‍♂️ The takeaway point here is we are duty bound to try and deescalate wherever possible and if we don’t, we are scrutinised, criticised and punished. 😔 I feel we could be better at communicating all this, which is why I try wherever I can to offer these explainers. ✅ #ThinBlueLine 🚨