Deputy Mayor Suggests Police Dispersal Order Could Have Been Avoided

A city’s deputy mayor has stated that a police dispersal order, which targeted children and generated significant outcry within Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller communities, might have been preventable. On November 23, Greater Manchester Police responded to reports of anti-social behaviour by directing groups of young people away from Manchester’s Christmas markets and facilitating their return via trains from Manchester Victoria. Kate Green, the region’s deputy mayor, commented that the police force could have anticipated the issues earlier on what she described as an “extremely busy” day in the city centre. She noted that the order, which equality groups characterized as “heavy-handed,” also raised questions about police acting “proportionately” and without unfair discrimination. The Traveller Movement had previously deemed the dispersal order “completely unacceptable,” asserting that the children involved were “unfairly targeted and marginalised.” In a review of the incident, Kate Green indicated that there were “lessons to be learned,” adding that she had written to Chief Constable Stephen Watson to request Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to “address a number of matters.” At the time, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson had stated that officers’ actions were based on “intelligence” concerning anti-social behaviour on trains. These actions led to a protest in Manchester city centre by the Traveller community, with the Traveller Movement demanding a public apology from the police. The advocacy group also mentioned it was considering referring the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Green acknowledged that police had provided an account of the events, and she conveyed that she “understood the rationale” given a surge in “crime, anti social behaviour and disorder across the city centre” that day. However, the deputy mayor suggested that GMP could have proactively engaged with the Romany, Gypsy, and Irish Traveller communities to avert potential problems. She stated, “This could have prevented this dispersal order being issued and applied in the way that it was.” She has also directed GMP to review the safeguarding implications of returning children to trains. The deputy mayor noted that she had received concerns alleging the order was “applied in a discriminatory manner,” and assured that all complaints would be investigated by GMP’s professional standards department. She concluded, “I will monitor the progress and outcomes of these cases carefully.”