have recently hit the headlines and embarrassed the local Chief Constable, who is trying to get hold of bullets against Midlands Police Committee April along with the West Midlands County Counpushers and criminals' were behind the riot. Birmingham City Council's report, published by Julius Silberman, blames unemployment. West Midlands County Council's (WMCC) report, A Different Reality, tionalised racism.
MICK ARCHER examines the different reality behind the latest clashes over inner-city police.
virtue of both reports is that they nail the lie, assiduously culuvalea by lne police, that 'barDarous criminality' WaN response for be rees last September They ask Why did Handsworth happen?
Part of the answer is given in the detailed social indices in both reports.
These show that: • In January 1985 unemployment the Lozells Road area stood at half oft Cent Will over these having been unemployed for more than a year • Of the leavers in Handsworth in 1984 only 99 found jobs, supplied by Handsworth Job Centre SHOWed La average there were 35 people chasing every vacancy. • According to the 1981 Less oo be cent households had to share a the wishes the West — to be abolished on 1 Both reports refute police claims that 'drugplaces further blame squarely on instituditions, 18 per cent were pensioners living alone, 65 per cent had no access to a car and 5 per cent were single parent families But this is only part of the story. The WMCC report. at least stage further and asks why deprivation is so concentrated in The answer it gives is that the majority the people who live there are black The facts stark. black people (black Asians black AfroCaribbeans) per cent of the population in Ine Handsworth Soho and Lozells area compared with 11 per Cell OLDe Nest Midlands county anc 1 per cent for the U.K. Bu unlike the poor whites they have to confront systematic discrimination in employment, housing, training and welfare provision. According to the Policy Studies Institute's report Racial DiscriminaPolice in Handworth wett over seven times more likely be discriminated against than white job applicants, and black Atro-Caribbeans were over six times more likely to be discriminated against than white job at licant Even on is hac Mode schemes, with chance of employment at than they do onto Mode B schemes with little or no opportunities It is this that explains the existence of inner city ghettos which overwhelmingly UIlT employed and black. In these circumstances volts like that of 9/10 September are inevitable Of course the Tories are the first to understand this. That's why alongside such cuts we see increased expenditure on the police and increased discussion about 'riot control' Through criminalising biack youth and depicting := support for the use of plastic bullets and worse.
As the Daily Mail on 8 put it: "Either they forgo the anarchic luxury of these origies of arson, looting murderous assaults against the men and women whos task it is to uphold the laws of this land or the will provoke a paramilitary reaction unknown mainland Britain'.
Questioned local radio Birmingham Douglas Hurd explained that the police having plastic bullets was bette than their only resort being to 'call in the Army with live ammunition' Already of the forces Engiand Wales 15 possess plastic bullets other cases, such as Greater Manchester, the force has arranged loan baton rounds and riot guns from the Met circumvent decisions by the loca police authority not stock them L-de: the Marial Aid =2:
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the end,