How Southport shooter’s terrorism charge undermines trust in police

“The police were in a difficult situation and I thought they handled it quite simply and convincingly,” says Andrew Chadwick, professor of political communication at Loughborough University. “They quickly issued a statement. You could see that they were trying to handle the situation without violating regulations and were trying to be as clear as they could. “But you could see the pain they felt because they could see how provocative it could be.”

An Ofcom report last week found a “clear link” between social media posts and the violence that followed. “The Southport incident and subsequent posts about the events from high-profile accounts reached millions of users, highlighting the role virality and algorithmic recommendations can play in driving divisive narratives,” Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes wrote in an open letter. a period of crisis.” Since July 29, police have detained a total of 1,590 people and laid a total of 1,015 charges, according to the National Police Chief Council. More than 200 people were sentenced to an average of two years in prison, most of them in prison.

There has been a fierce debate, sparked by the recent death, over whether some terms are disproportionate. Peter LynchThe 61-year-old grandfather is believed to have committed suicide in prison 10 days ago while serving a two-year-eight-month sentence for violent disorder.

Chadwick adds: “It is clear that this is an extremely difficult situation for the police to deal with.” “I think we’re moving towards a new kind of solution where the police are more confident in pursuing these types of cases.” Part of the problem, he adds, is that social media sites increasingly encourage users to prioritize clicks and eyeball time, even at the expense of accuracy. In particular, since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, the platform he rebranded as

“This type of environment will make it difficult for the police to decide how events will develop,” Chadwick says. “Because people are encouraged to be a part of it not just for the excitement, but also to generate income. “I think there should be more awareness of responsibility.”