Should looters be shot?

[jimslip]

At the moment watching News 24, anarchy is ruling parts of London and other cities. The police are not engaging the looters or dealing with the situation at all.At what point do you think that the army should be called in, a curfew called and looters shot on sight?

Or do you think an army of social workers armed with benefit cheques should be sent in to, "Engage" with the looters?

What does the panel think?

[number 6]

is that daily mail speak?

[jimslip]

Presumably No 6, if your house was to be burnt to the ground and ransacked, you would be one of the, "Let's engage these young people with a meaningful dialogue!" brigade, as the rioters carry you off shoulder high and chuck you on the flames. lol

[David Johnson]

This is mindless, inexcusable, terrifying violence which it seems to me will inevitably lead to loss of life unless it is stopped.

Much of what has been going on has been met with a largely passive police in those instances where there has been any police in evidence at all. The reason it has escalated is that people realise that they can get away with it.

Unless this is stopped, it will continue and escalate further. So whatever needs to be done has to be done to stop it, before innocent people are killed in these incidents.

Cheers
D

[jimslip]

To be honest, on the news it looks like a nightmare for the poor people living in those areas. If you are watching the news now, it is escalating out of control and police have lost all control. One copper said they were outnumbered 200:1

I have no doubt that plans are urgently being dusted off for the army to possibly deal with a collapse in social order.

[randyandy]

An immediate curfew should be called.

Immediate dispersal notices served.

Those caught for doing it shouldn't get slap wrists but restorative justice (made to clean up the mess) as an absolute minimum.

Been looking horns with leftie fuckwits all night. This has fuck all to do with misunderstood little angels, it's a bunch of wankers doing what they are doing for fun or in the case of looters to fill their pockets, while having fun.

[Ron T. Storm]

In this country where food and water are available. Where torture doesn't happen. The answer is YES.

[Arginald Valleywater]

After the Queensland floods the Aussie police had a simple message "you loot, we shoot", it worked rather well. And now Diane Abbot is preaching be nice to the rioters on SKY, what a vile creature she is. And why the fuck has Twitter not been shut down in the UK? Surely GCHQ can do that.....

[frankthring]

No, Jim, looters should not be shot ! I am known as an old dinosaur
toughie, with a desire for a death penalty for murder and some form
of nasty public humiliation for these chav rioters. But executing them
seems to me to be going too far.
As other commentators have said there are very effective ways of
controlling rioters without recourse to killing them. Tear gas (as I found
out in the Budapest riots of summer 2003) is a most effective way. You
simply give up when your eyes are stinging and streaming with water and
your nose and throat choked by the foul smell....powerful water cannon
would also be quite effective on a British night.