Police fear that the extra resources being poured into efforts to tackle violence that has erupted in UK cities in recent days means other crimes may not be fully investigated.
The warning comes a day after dozens of people were arrested when far-right activists clashed with anti-racism protesters, with violent scenes happened in many locations, from Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast, to Liverpool in the northwest of England, Sunderland in the northeast, Hull in Humberside and Bristol in the west.
More arrests are likely as police comb through security camera footage, social media and body cameras.
In just one incident on Saturday, Merseyside Police said around 300 people were involved in violent disturbances in Liverpool, where a community facility was set on fire.
The Spellow Lane Library Hub, which opened last year to support one of the country’s most deprived communities, suffered severe damage to the ground floor. Police said protesters tried to prevent firefighters from accessing the blaze by throwing a missile at the fire engine and smashing the cab’s rear window.
More meetings are scheduled for today and police will continue to mount a massive security operation, deploying thousands of officers on the streets, many in riot gear. Police have also made more jail cells available and are deploying surveillance and facial recognition technology.
Tiffany Lynch, from the Police Federation of England and Wales, told the BBC: “We are seeing police officers being taken out of day-to-day policing.
“But while this is happening, the communities that are having incidents against them — victims of crimes — unfortunately, their crimes are not being investigated.”
Violence erupted earlier this week, ostensibly in protest at Monday’s stabbing attack in Southport. A 17-year-old man was arrested.
False rumours spread online that the young man was a Muslim and an immigrant, fuelling anger among far-right supporters. Suspects under 18 are not usually named in the UK, but Judge Andrew Menary ordered that Axel Rudakubana, who was born in Wales to Rwandan parents, be identified, in part to stop the spread of misinformation.
Police said many of the actions were being organised online by shadowy far-right groups, who were rallying support online with slogans such as “enough”, “save our children” and “stop the boats”.
Far-right protesters have held several violent gatherings since three children were stabbed to death in Southport. Anger against the Muslim community has been fuelled by false claims that the perpetrator was a Syrian migrant who arrived in Britain on a dinghy.
More events are being held today, including counter-protests.
A large number of anti-immigration protesters, some wearing masks, clashed with police on Tuesday outside a mosque in Southport – close to the scene of the horrific stabbing – throwing beer cans, bottles and flares near the Prime Minister’s office in London the following day. Many in Southport expressed their anger at the organised acts of violence following the tragedy.
Axel Rudakubana, 17, has been charged with murder over the attack that killed Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6. He has also been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder for the eight children and two adults who were injured.
The new Prime Minister of Great Britain, Keir Starmerblamed the violence on “far-right hatred” and vowed to end the chaos. He said police across the UK would be given more resources to prevent “a breakdown of law and order on our streets”.
Police Minister Diana Johnson told the BBC that there is “no need” to bring in the army to help the police in their efforts to tackle violence.
She said: “The police have made it very clear that they have all the resources they need at the moment.”