Police to carry out weekend patrols in Leicester in run up to Navaratri celebrations
The force warns 'we will not stand for trouble on our streets'
Last updated 24th Sep 2022
Police patrols will be on the streets of Leicester this weekend following recent clashes in the city involving groups of mainly Hindu and Muslim men.
Leicestershire Police has warned that it 'won't stand for trouble on our streets'.
The force says 8 people have now been charged following disorder this month, with 47 arrests in total.
Following evenings of calm on the city’s streets this week, specially trained officers will be on duty this weekend.
The continued policing operation is being carried out with one eye on the run up to the Navaratri celebrations which take place on Monday.
Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon said: “What happened in East Leicester last weekend is not what we want on our streets – and we won’t tolerate it.
“The tensions being felt by the communities are very real and are multi-faceted in their origins, but one thing is clear and that is that violence is not the answer.”
This week, following the disorder at the weekend, the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman visited the force headquarters, meeting with some officers who were on duty when the disorder broke out at the weekend.
Chief officers also attended a community meeting this week, hosted by Leicester City Council and the city Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby.
It was at this meeting it was agreed a review would be undertaken into the circumstances leading up to the tension and into the events that led to the disorder.
Independent experts will be sought to offer their insights into how the council, force and communities might learn from what led to the incidents and what can be done at a local level to ensure it does not happen again.
Mr Nixon continued: “The response to this disorder is a multi-agency one – while it’s my officers on the front line, dealing with the violence first hand – the wider response, with the community leaders, faith leaders, local authority and the force to work together to address what is at the root of this unrest.
“We want to make sure this doesn’t happen again, and addressing the root cause of these issues within our community will be key to this.”