Punishments for Convicted Rioters

Last week's New York Times followed up the British rioting with an article, Britain Will Force Convicted Rioters to Clean Up. Link to the article here. The Times, using media and Labor, Liberal Democrats, and Conservative Party officials as sources, portrayed British society, especially the government, as unbalanced and agitated by the property damage, looting, and violence that occurred earlier this month. The Times stated that London police, reading rioters' social media posts, carefully guarded the 2012 Olympic Village and "higher-end shopping malls,"  The Times gives no proof but insinuated that Scotland Yard was less zealous in protecting life and property in sites that lacked landmark status or high economic value.

Did the police assess the political and economic value of sites before protecting them? If true (and only if true), the people should vote for candidates that would change that policy. I believe the police must anticipate where the rioters will be and protect that area, regardless of the exclusivity of the neighborhood.

The Times  also gave examples of miscarriage of justice--young people thrown in jail for looting items worth only a few dollars or inciting others to riot. The Times article does not state whether the opposite took place--other rioters getting a slap on the wrist for more serious crimes. The Times also did not give statistics stating the percentage of criminals that were justly punished. I will assume that the British justice system, as a whole, did execute justice swiftly and properly.

Lastly, The Times quoted critics that complained about a double standard. White collar criminals in the financial crisis were not punished as harshly as the rioters. This issue too needs to be explored further. Did the courts go easy on the bankers because they were upper-middle class or because the penal code mandates harsher punishment for mayhem and violence?

Postscript: I recommend Jonathan Sach's post here. He says that a breakdown of the social order was the cause, and a rejuvenation of religious institutions, as occurred early in the 19th century in both Britain and America,  can solve the problem. Berel Wein writes in his newsletter (September, 2011) that the Israelis are frustrated by the failures of liberalism and socialism and never-ceasing hostility of much of the world.