Hire of US 'SuperCop' by Cameron is an indictment on British Police

[HipChick]

News that Prime Minister David Cameron had asked former US Police Chief William J. Bratton to be an advisor in the wake of riots in Britain's major cities recently has caused a rift among some among the law-and-order ranks, who complain that the government was ignoring their homegrown expertise. Siobhan Sagar, a detective inspector from London's police, said: "We just feel that it's a sad indictment of what the government think of our senior officers in this country. They do have decades of experience of policing in this country and understand the U.K. law fully."

This comes in the wake of criticism that Police Officers stood by while rioters looted and burned buildings, and fire departments failed to respond to burning buildings unless there was an immediate danger as protest to recent cuts in police and fire services. Bratton, who has been bandied about as a dark-horse candidate for the vacant post of chief commissioner for Scotland Yard


The increasingly acrimonious relationship between politicians and police gained new impetus yesterday when Mr Cameron signalled his support for Mr Bratton’s zero tolerance approach to cleaning up crime when he ran the police departments in New York and Los Angeles.Sir Hugh Orde said tough U.S. tactics advocated by Mr Bratton would not be possible in Britain because of the European Convention on Human Rights.

"To micromanage, or get so-called experts in, instead of listening to their own police chiefs and their own experienced officers in the Met is a slap in the face for British policing. No disrespect to the Americans, or to Mr. Bratton," he said, "but they're a completely different culture, different ways of policing.... Either not prepared to listen or he has no faith in them." There has also been criticism of the government's austerity program, which calls for cuts in police budgets and staffing over the next four years.


More on Bratton..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2025715/London-riots-UK-police-round-David-Camerons-US-supercop-Bill-Bratton.html

David Cameron's new adviser on gang warfare would be prepared to become a British citizen to become head of the Met Police.

American 'supercop' Bill Bratton has told friends he is prepared to swap his nationality if it made any difference to the selection process for the country's top police job.

Mr Bratton, credited with turning around the New York Police Department and its Los Angeles counterpart, said he believed an outsider could reinvigorate a police force.

[arbusto_baboso]

1. Sorry, but LAPD is still perceived as crooked.

Bratton is no reformer. He's just good at cleaning up the metaphorical bodies.

[HipChick]

2. I expect there to be an expose of how much they are paying him, since Cameron made all those cuts..

[sabrina 1]

3. Maybe Cameron should learn a little about the NYPD

before he hires Bratton. Currently they are embroiled in several corruption scandals, eg.

This Globalization of everything is very disturbing. People have wondered if any country has any sovereignty left at this point was the Globalists have been pulling the strings of every government for a number of years now. What is the point of hiring Bratton?? He's not that great from my recollection of him in NY.

Of course disappearing the homeless is always popular with the Wealthy who want their major cities free of the sight of the poor.

And he's willing to give up his US Citizenship? I doubt that's because he cares so much about the people of Britain.

[Hangingon]

4. Why didn't he bring in someone from the RUC?

Those guys have experience with civil demonstrations.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. The police under Bratton in NYC (and Giuliani) liberally gave tickets to low income

residents under the guise of "quality of life". Think of getting a ticket for littering or jaywalking with a fine of three digits when you make minimum wage.

Under the circumstances, Bratton is exactly the opposite of what Britain needs at the moment.

[Kennah]

6. So the brits will now respond to rioters with ...

... Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Don't move motherfucker!

[malaise]

7. Cameron will lose power before Bratton ever becomes Head of

the Met. There is a chasm between the police culture in the two countries - even the idea is absolute madness. I'd love to hear the Lib-Dems position on this one.

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. No chance at all

different police culture, different criminal culture, the head of the Metropolitan Police is appointed by the Home Secretary (who has said only UK citizens will be considered), the Metropolitan Police Board (who wouldn't consider an American) and the Mayor of London (who probably fancies his chances as a future Tory leader and wants to use this opportunity to position himself on the side of the police and against Cameron; HM Government stand firm in their plans for cuts to police budgets, Boris wants cuts to be scrapped and more police hired...and following on from that won't be too keen on bringing in a Yank "supercop" either). And Bratton would if brought on not be successful; too much resentment on the force especially from higher ranking officers at an outsider being brought in to tell them how to do their jobs for him to be effective.