Why police were so soft on London looters: They 'were ordered to stand and observe' as capital burned

This is how government operates. They allowed the problem to deteriorate to the point where citizens were calling for martial law. And the government said, hey, I guess we have no other choice. Problem > reaction > solution.

Daily Mail -
• Yard insiders: Officers were 'told just to try and contain violence'
• Complaints by public that looting mobs were being allowed to continue
• Tactics finally changed on Monday as armoured vehicles moved in
• Met Police took three days to issue pictures of offenders

  Police were ordered to 'stand and observe' rioters as they laid waste to London's streets instead of confronting them, it was claimed today.
  
  Scotland Yard insiders have revealed teams were frustrated at their inability to wade in and arrest troublemakers while they looted and burnt out shops.
  
  They had apparently been told to try and contain any violence but not to haul away offenders who would instead be identified through video footage later, according to The Times.
  
  It was only on Monday night, when the riots escalated still further, that tactics changed and armoured vehicles called Jankels were used to disperse the crowds.
  
  On Tuesday night, some 16,000 officers also flooded London's streets - almost triple the previous night's deployment - and they were finally given the green light to confront the gangs.

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