‘Supercop’ praises UK’s gang crime crackdown

An American “supercop” who advised the government after last summer’s London riots said he is impressed with the way UK police deal with gang crime.

Bill Bratton, 64, who tackled gangs as head of police departments in New York, Boston and Los Angeles over the last two decades, said he does not believe police cuts will lead to a rise in crime.

And he hit out at those who criticise police, saying: “To blame the police, I am sorry, there are other issues at work here.

“Lots of these people are just, unfortunately, criminals.”

Mr Bratton applauded police efforts to counter gang crime and singled out forces’ willingness to work in partnership with community groups, schools and local authorities as being key to lowering offending. It is not possible for the police to arrest their way out of it, he said.