Act now before it is too late.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.thisislond...angs-says-supercop.do

Would the Government and the Met be wise to take this guys advice?

Should Bill Bratton, the former New York and Los Angeles police chief, have been the new commisioner of the Metropolitan Police, and was Theresa May, racist by refusing to accept him because he isn't British?

/// Mrs may was unhappy with the idea of an American taking on the country's most senior policing job ahead of a Briton.///

/// The role was advertised specifying that "applicants must be British citizens", ruling out any hope Mr Bratton had of applying for the job.///

http://www.telegraph....-for-top-Met-job.html

[ladybirder]

Yes, he should have got the job.

[emmie]

I think that Bill Bratton is good as an advisor, he has first hand experience of the problems with gang violence, drugs and so forth. They wouldn't have had him as Commissioner i'm sure, no matter how much some might like it.

[emmie]

I honestly don't think it had anything to do with being a foreigner, an American, but the Met have had any number of changes in recent days, and it was always going to go to a British citizen.

[pa___ul3]

American isn't a race, although I didn't think you were allowed to discriminate based on nationality though.
He should be considered as equally as anyone else and his views should be heard. Being American doesn't automatically make him right though and I don't think he's saying anything new and radical in declaring that gangs need to be stopped! I know a certain patriotic little bulldog who's been saying that for a while!!

[Meg888]

I haven't read the links, but yes, I'd say it was racist not to employ him. If any other employer was to turn around and deny someone a job on the basis of nationality (providing they had all the right docs) they'd get into bother. The business of him taking over the job, has cropped up a lot in the last year - I think it will happen. I think they're just grooming us for when he takes over, so people don't go up in arms about it being given to a non-brit

[jno]

so it's aog for commissioner, then, pa__ul? He wouldn't have much time left to post on AB.

[Brenden]

Pity Mrs May did not make that ruling on "applicants must be british citizens" when we built the 0lympic stadium, there would have been less unemployment in the surrounding aread.

[jake-the-peg]

Mr Bratton's reputation as a supercop has been somewhat over stated.

Yes crime fell dramatically under him in NY but it did in other areas too

Policing today points out that his tactics were based on mass recruitment of officers (which the Met does not have budget for under defecit reduction) and a zero tolerance approach which would undermine the British police approach of policing by consent.

May knew who she wanted anyway and ignored everybody else's advice when she made the selection so I don't see why she'd listen to him anyway!

[pdust]

*so it's aog for commissioner, then, pa__ul? He wouldn't have much time left to post on AB. *

awww shame :(

[Beaky364]

I've worked in the states as a gang prevention officer/councilor and have worked with a variety of gangs all over the states black, white asian and latino.
This problem you have here is going to escalate and escalate into a problem of epic proportions as it was and is currently back home in the states. The best person for the job was Bill Bratton who i've had the pleasure of working with and have presented an award to. This Theresa may will live to regret her decision as the brits have no idea or the experience to deal with this problem.
I wish i could say more but that's it in a nutshell.

[pa___ul3]

jno...erm... I feel AOG's approach may be a little too 'old school', I'd be worried about him focusing a little too much on one demographic!

[emmie]

Beaky, many on here don't live in the big cities, so they have no idea how bad things are, or will get. Bratton will be a good advisor as i said, he has a wealth of experience and lend his hand to the present Commissioner im sure.

[whiskeryron]

If Theresa May lived in an area controlled by gang culture she would want something done pronto, she & the rest of her Tory bunch are on a different planet.

W Ron.

[emmie]

WR, as are the Labour, Lib dems, they live in a world only inhabited by like minded people, and don't see the underbelly of cities like London, Manchester, Birmingham..

[pa___ul3]

would it not be dangerous, though, to assume that a man who completed a job quite well in the US would automatically know how to deal with Britains gangs? It's a completely different country and culture. Policing is completely different.
Sure we should listen to his advice, but it would be very radical to appount him head of the Met based on that.
I personally feel gang culture is a problem that goes far, far deeper than something which can be countered by policing.

[Gromit]

Seems odd wanting an American, the USA is such a violent crime ridden place. We should get a Saudi Arabian to run the Met, they don't seem to have many problems there.

[anotheoldgit]

/// would it not be dangerous, though, to assume that a man who completed a job quite well in the US would automatically know how to deal with Britains gangs? It's a completely different country and culture. Policing is completely different.///

I don't think so somehow pa_ul3, I would imagine US gangs are more difficult to police than the kids that are now forming gangs in Britain.

This is Bil Bratton's point, our gangs are in the "gestation" period should be stopped before it takes a "multi-generational hold"

/// Policing is completely different.///

You are right, policing is different, perhaps that's our trouble.

We read and hear of almost nightly knifings or shootings on London's streets, and our cops seem to be held back, in case they are accused of being systematically racist.

We need non-tolerant policing, to nip this problem in the bud, at the moment it is not too late, but in the future who knows?

Will it be safe on our streets?

Beaky364, seems to know what he is talking about, since he has had hands on experience it would seem.

Best leave it to the experts I say.

[pa___ul3]

that's my point though AOG, you're talking directly about tackling the problem, curing.. let's forget your statement about being accused of being systematically racist suggests all gang members are non-white...we need to work on prevention.
Who is to say that the US method was the right way? It worked to some extent, it doen't mean it's the best way.
I say take advice from the 'experts' but assess the full situation, have teams of people that will work together to hit the root causes of the issue instead of relying on tactics that may or may not translate well across cultures.

[Zeuhl]

She wasn't being racist because

<<refusing to accept him because he isn't British? >>

is a criterion of nationality not race.

Arnold Schwartzenegger couldn't be Met Commisioner. But then he couldn't be President of the USA either.