THE detective in charge of investigating last year's riots has warned the public never to get involved in such large-scale disorder.
DCI Will White spearheaded Avon and Somerset police's quest to bring as many people as possible to justice following the violence that erupted on two nights in April.
As the last active prosecution stemming from the disorder last August concluded yesterday, Mr White told the Post it had been one of his most intense investigations during his 17 years with the force.
"It is certainly one of the biggest investigations I've worked on," he said. "It was a huge investigation, mainly centred around the extensive CCTV footage that was available.
"The first disorder lasted eight hours and the second was not much shorter than that, so we had all of that footage to go through from a number of different cameras in the area.
"The main issue was identifying the people involved. But thanks to the support of the public, the media and the city council cameras, we were able to bring many of those offenders to justice.
"As a police force, we are very much there to ensure people have the right to peacefully protest but we will act when things become unlawful.
"During last year's disorder, people got involved in reckless criminal activity that caused significant harm to the people, properties and businesses in the Stokes Croft area."
In the days following the April riots more than 50 officers were involved in the investigation. Numerous CCTV images of people suspected of disorder, violence, vandalism and looting of the Tesco Express on Cheltenham Road were published by the Post.
Almost 140 people were arrested and questioned by police, with half of those being charged or cautioned.
Mr White said: "These convictions show that if people choose to get involved in this kind of disorder, they will be dealt with robustly by the police and the courts.
"People may think it's a victimless crime but it is the people who live, work and have businesses nearby that have to live with the consequences of their actions.
"What happened last August was an aberration. Stokes Croft and Cheltenham Road are not normally like that. It certainly feels to me that things have got back to normal there."
Mr White insists that there are not many suspects his team have failed to catch up with yet.
He said: "There are a handful of people who have gone to ground, but we still intend to catch up with them and they will be dealt with accordingly."
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