2010 Police Fire

Over a month after the large riots that swept Britain in August 2011, questions remain as to why the riots started, spread and ended when they did. Police and government officials have blamed general lawlessness, characterizing the rioters as just plain criminals. Others have pointed to Britain’s economic situation, poverty and recent austerity measures taken by the government as causes, with the spark lit by racism and brutality on the part of the police.

Indeed, the trigger for the initial riot appears to have been the fatal shooting by police of Mark Duggan, 29, a black North Londoner. Other police actions during the riots, including confrontations and unfounded searches, have been blamed for inciting further rioting. Attacks on police officers by rioters, and vice versa, were reported in all the affected areas. The riots lasted four days, covered many cities all around the country and have been labeled the worst unrest this generation has seen.

Despite the role of police in the riots, increased police presence appears to have been a major factor in ultimately stopping the unrest. On Tuesday, August 9, three days into the rioting, 16,000 police descended on London. Thousands more were deployed in Manchester, Birmingham and other hot spots. Curfews were in force. Prime Minister David Cameron warned the public that he had authorized the police to use water cannons to disperse the rioters.

This heavy police presence remained on the streets the following night, Wednesday, August 10. Courts remained open all night to process the high volume of riot-related arrests. That night, streets were calm.

The police had an additional ally: the weather. On August 10, it rained heavily all over the country. The rain drove would-be rioters indoors, literally dousing the fire. In contrast, the previous four days had been sunny and hot.

Throughout history, urban riots have tended to follow a similar pattern. The violence erupts during warm weather, usually very hot weather. Cooling temperatures see a cooling of the violence as well. Even if the weather remains good, the rioting tends to peter out in a matter of days, no matter what actions the government takes. That does not necessarily mean the issues that led to the rioting are resolved or that there will not be future riots.

British police have drawn criticism for taking no action during the first two days of the riots. Eyewitnesses reported that the police stood by and did nothing in many places where the violence was happening. When the police did take action, their actions, in at least some cases, were blamed for spurring further riots.

Cameron’s deployment of over 10,000 additional police officers three days into the riots represented a reversal of tactics. The Conservative government has portrayed the problem as simple criminality among the rioters and their stepped up law enforcement as the solution. It cannot be denied that arrests of the rioters left fewer to riot or that increased police presence, and increased likelihood of the police to take action, served as deterrents to at least some who would have taken part in the violence.

However, so many factors were involved in quelling the riots that we cannot definitively say which of them, if any, were the deciding factor. Did the police stop the largest riots this generation has known? Did the weather? Or did the riots simply die a natural death? These are questions that can be debated for centuries to come.

What Does the Test Involve?

Police fitness tests vary slightly between departments, but are generally based around a similar format. Usually, you will have to complete several different forms of exercise with little recovery time between stations. A typical test may require a 300-meter sprint, followed by a minimum number of pushups, chin-ups, chest presses and sit-ups, sometimes within a time limit. Most tests end with a 1.5 mile run within a time limit (often around nine minutes), but some substitute this for an obstacle course or dummy drag. You should contact the police department you intend to apply for, or visit its website, to find out the exact requirements that you will be working towards. Bear in mind that some police departments also have body weight requirements, which you may want to investigate before planning your exercise routine.

How to Prepare 

In order to pass the test, you will need to undertake an exercise routine which builds muscular strength, muscular endurance, stamina and anaerobic power. A suitable workout might involve 30 minutes of interval training, followed by a 30-minute total body workout aimed at improving strength and muscle endurance. The interval training might alternate two minutes of gentle jogging with two minutes of sprinting for 30 minutes. The total body workout might involve sets of weight-lifting, focusing on working your muscles to exhaustion.

You should aim to exercise three to four times a week. To enable your body to rebuild muscle effectively, it’s best to allow a recovery day between workouts, so aim to schedule your exercise sessions on non-consecutive days. It’s best to start preparing as far in advance as possible, but around three to six months of working out consistently should be enough for you to see substantial fitness gains.

How is Muscle Built?

When you put stress on your muscles by lifting a weight or exercising, you tear the muscle. Your body uses protein to repair that muscle, and if there is enough protein, the muscle will be rebuilt bigger than it was before.
To develop muscle quickly and how to gain muscle mass fast, you should therefore do two things: work your muscles to exhaustion, and ensure that your diet contains adequate amounts of protein. However, many experts argue that a diet which contains excessive amounts of protein can be harmful, putting you at increased risk of kidney problems and heart disease.

For maximum effect, you should aim to eat a high-protein snack within one hour of finishing a muscle-building workout. Following an aerobic workout, you should eat a snack rich in carbohydrates to replenish your energy. Opt for healthy choices such as whole grains, fruit and vegetables and lean meat or fish. For example, you could pack a turkey salad sandwich with your gym kit, or a high-protein yoghurt, a handful of nuts and a banana.

Last-Minute Preparation

In the week leading up to the test, you should be aiming to ensure that you are well-rested. In this time-scale, pushing yourself to further improve your physical condition is likely to be counterproductive, because any fitness gains at this stage will be minimal and exhaustion will have a detrimental effect on your performance. Cut back on the frequency and intensity of your workouts, and give yourself at least eight hours of sleep each night. Stay away from junk food and make sure you are well hydrated, especially on the day of the test.