As police struggled to control ongoing riots in London, British Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament Thursday he is willing to consult with former New York top cop William J. Bratton, who played a significant role in cracking down on crime under ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
"We will not put up with this in our country," Cameron said of the days of riots, fires and disorder sparked when 29-year-old Duggan was shot by police in London last week. "I also believe we should be looking beyond our shores to learn lessons from others who have faced similar problems. That is why I will be discussing how we can go further in getting to grips with gangs with people like Bill Bratton, former commissioner of police in New York and Los Angeles."
Bratton was police commissioner of Los Angeles from 2002 to 2009 after resigning from the NYPD in 1996. He resigned while he was being investigated for unauthorized trips and signing a book deal while in office, but his personal conflicts with Giuliani also garnered much attention. The CompStat computer intelligence system he intoduced in the '90's is still used in the NYPD today and mimicked by other cities.
No formal request has yet been made of Bratton, according to his spokesman Jack Papp. But in a statement, Bratton said he would be honored to work with the British government.
"I fully appreciate the difficulties they are currently facing," Bratton said. "I support their resolve to seize upon this difficult situation as an opportunity to address the issues of gangs and gang violence and the resulting fear and disorder head-on."
Bratton said the lessons he's learned in reducing gang-related violence and improving police-community relations would be "relevant to the current situation in England."
Bratton, who retired from the LAPD to work for a Kroll Associates, a private security firm, has been repeatedly been mentioned as a potential candidate to head London's Metropolitan Police.
"I have been interested in looking at that position," Bratton told The Daily Beast.
The British government is debating if he would be eligible as a non-citizen.
