Anglican Archbishop of York speaks out on riots

From Independent Catholic News-

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu has issued the following statement on the recent riots in England:

"Like everyone else, I am shocked and appalled by the behaviour of individuals this week who simply have no care and respect for other people.

We need to send a message to those who rioted and looted, committed crimes of arson, burglary, theft and violent acts against people and property; that not only was their behaviour mindless and destructive, but has a massive human cost. These vile and evil acts can never be justified.

We cannot simply measure the damage in pounds and pence. It is not just about the rebuilding of shops and homes set on fire. It is not about the cost of repairing windows and walls. It is about the communities that have been torn apart by a selfish underclass that has little respect for hard work and decency. An underclass laid bare in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and the Damilola Taylor Murder Review reports.

To this end, I want to raise two areas of great importance.

First, the difficulties experienced by the police in controlling the riots:-

If the police cannot do it, vigilante groups will. Nature abhors a power-vacuum. For the sake of responsible civil order, the police must be equipped and enabled to keep the peace, which is the first responsibility of government - prior to anything else it may properly undertake. The broader question of the resourcing of the police should
not be too glibly tied up with current plans for cuts in public expenditure, but the public does need to be reassured that first things are coming first, and that police resources are not subject to some false principle of equal sharing of burdens among governmental
departments.

More here-

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=18757