Police hit out at ’supercop’ plan

13 August 2011 Last updated at 19:41 ET

Sir Hugh Orde said violence levels in the US were different to those in the UK

UK police chiefs have reacted sceptically to plans for US “supercop” Bill Bratton to advise the government.

David Cameron has called for the former New York police chief to help address violence in English cities.

Association of Chief Police Officers’ head Sir Hugh Orde said: “I am not sure I want to learn about gangs from an area of America that has 400 of them.”

Downing Street has refused to be drawn into the dispute, saying Mr Bratton is to offer advice in a personal capacity.

Speaking to the Independent on Sunday, Sir Hugh, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said: “It seems to me, if ’ve got 400 gangs, then ’re not being very effective.

“If look at the style of policing in the States, and their levels of violence, they are fundamentally different from here.

“What I suggested to the home secretary is a more sensible approach, maybe to look across far wider styles of policing and – more usefully – at European styles; they, like us, are bound by the European Convention.

“My sense is, when we’ve done that, we will find the British model is probably the top.”

In other developments related to last week’s rioting in London, the East and West Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool and Gloucester:

• A man and a teenager have been charged with the murders of three men hit by a car in Birmingham.
• A third man has been arrested over the death of Trevor Ellis, who was found with bullet wounds in a car in Croydon, south London, during Monday night’s rioting. The 26-year-old from Sutton is being held on suspicion of murder.
• A 33-year-old man has become the fourth person arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed the Reeves Furniture store during rioting in Croydon on Monday.
• Images of suspects continue to be displayed to shoppers on a large city centre screen in Birmingham.
• Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg vid Manchester, where more than 100 premises in the city and in nearby Salford were looted.
• On a visit to riot-hit Hackney in east London, Labour leader Ed Miliband reiterated his calls for a public inquiry into the riots, saying it was imperative to have a “national discussion” looking at the issues behind the disturbances.
• The Metropolitan Police, which has now arrested 1,125 people and charged 750, has released a further 44 images of suspects thought to be involved in rioting.
• Merseyside Police have also released CCTV images of people it wants to speak to over the riots.
• Greater Manchester Police says it has been “inundated” with tip-offs in response to its “Shop A Looter” campaign.

On the appointment of Mr Bratton, other senior police figures have spoken out saying they share Sir Hugh’s concerns.

Ian Hanson, of the Greater Manchester Police Federation, called it a “slap in the face” and said Britain did not need someone from “5,000 miles away”.

“There is anger, there is disappointment, a degree of incredulity as well,” he told ITV News.

“What we’ve witnessed this week has been British policing at its absolute best.

“The police leadership has also stepped forward in support of their officers and the service and now to be given this slap in the face by the prime minister and told that he wants to bring in Bill Bratton to cure all policing ills.”

Metropolitan Police Federation chairman John Tully agreed, saying he did not think American advice would help.

“Although he has a glittering record across in the States, it’s a different style of policing. The gang culture’s different,” he said.

And former Scotland Yard Commander John O’Connor said: “The Americans didn’t cure the social problems in New York. What they did is they locked people up. That’s how zero tolerance works. We haven’t got the heart for that over here.”

In a statement, Downing Street added that Mr Bratton had long-standing links with British policing and they thanked him for agreeing “to make himself available for a series of meetings in the UK in the autumn to share his experience of tackling gangs”.

Tough tactics

On a visit to Manchester on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg played down any dispute between the government and the police.

“There is no rift… we fully support the police 100%,” he said.

“They have done a brilliant job in really difficult circumstances.

“The police themselves have said they want to review what happened and look at tactics and learn lessons.”

Extra police numbers will be maintained on city streets through the weekend.

Earlier the Chancellor, George Osborne, dismissed calls to reverse cuts to police budgets.

He welcomed the advice from Mr Bratton, saying he would help tackle the “deep-seated social problems” behind the riots.

Mr Bratton – credited with restoring law and order in Los Angeles after riots in 1992 – said: “ can’t arrest r way out of the problem.

“Arrest is certainly appropriate for the most violent, the incorrigible, but so much of it can be addressed in other ways and it’s not just a police issue, it is in fact a societal issue.”

He added: “Part of what the government is going to do is to take a look at what worked and what didn’t work during the course of the last week.”

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