The Effect of the 2011 London Disorder on Public Opinion of Police and Attitudes Towards Crime, Disorder, and Sentencing

Abstract

How did the 2011 London disorder affect Londoners? This article presents the findings from a study on the impact of the disorder on Londoners’ attitudes towards the police, sentencing, crime and disorder, using Metropolitan Police Public Attitude Survey (METPAS) data from the weeks before and after the disorder. The findings suggest that while public confidence remained largely steady, confidence is lower (and already was lower prior to the disorder) in those areas of London which were hit hardest by the disorder. We also observed a substantial shift towards greater punitiveness and authoritarian viewpoints following the disorder.