London Riots 2011: Almost 2,000 Suspects Arrested, to Face Courts
The streets of London are quiet, but justice will ring for those responsible as police continue their efforts to track down perpetrators, and the number of accused rioters of facing the courts grows.
The number of arrests has reached more than 1,900 and about half have been charged, a majority of them in London.
The riots first broke out in north London's Tottenham neighborhood after the Aug. 4 death of a local man, Mark Duggan, who was in a cab and stopped by police, then shot. From there, the violence spread throughout London and to other cities.
The last two nights have been calm, and the nation is moving forward to prosecute those caught, while still reeling from the disorder.
Cases being highlighted in the London newspapers include a video of a woman hurling bricks at a police car, an 11-year-old girl who pleaded guilty to criminal damage in Nottingham, and a 12-year-old boy who admitted taking a bottle of wine from a Manchester supermarket.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told potential troublemakers in Nottingham to "think again" before stirring up further unrest.
A "surge" of 16,000 police officers deployed since Tuesday will remain in London as lawmakers rethink police responses to future unrest.
Clegg suggested police erred in treating the outbreak as a public order issue rather than a crime issue.
Police in London reported 1,103 riot-related arrests, while West Midlands reported 467 arrests, Greater Manchester Police listed 176, police in Merseyside and Liverpool reported 74, and Nottinghamshire Police reported 109 arrests.
The rioters and looters came from diverse ethnic backgrounds and ranges of ages.
Cameron said those convicted should expect jail time and he promised new efforts to reform Britain's "broken society."
Some 186 officers have reported being injured since Saturday, and British retailers lost more than $161 million over looting and violence, according to an analysis.
Police said residents could help them by identifying photographs of looters, and they have posted surveillance photos online.
What started as a peaceful demonstration in front of the police department by community members and 29-year-old Duggan's relatives and friends was "used as an excuse by opportunist thugs in gangs, first in Tottenham itself, then across London, and then in other cities," Cameron said.
"It is completely wrong to say there is any justifiable causal link."
Cameron promised a thorough inquiry into Duggan's death.
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