Yankee Doodle Dandy
One of the weekend newspapers had plenty to say about the false row over Bill Bratton - a former top American cop - who has been invited to advise the government on fighting gangs and street crime.
Here's what the Mail on Sunday had to say:
"The rage from Labour politicians and certain chief constables over David Cameron’s decision to consult former New York police chief Bill Bratton on gang culture is utterly synthetic.
Ken Livingstone, when he was London mayor, and John Reid, who was the Labour Home Secretary, met Bratton in London in 2006 to seek his advice on policing.
Brian Coleman, a Tory member of the London Assembly, spent a day with Bratton in Camden, north London, in 2006 with Livingstone and senior Metropolitan Police officers including the then commissioner Ian Blair.
We have been employing Bratton’s safer neighbourhood techniques in north London for years,’ says Coleman. ‘It’s Bratton’s strategy, and Livingstone, the Labour Party, and the Met were completely signed up to it."
Come to think of it - I seem to recall Ken Livingstone hiring an American to run the London underground system on a eye-watering, full-time public salary.
Bob Kiley was his name if I remember correctly - and he came with an impressive track record from his days overseeing the New York metro - without a fuss or hullabaloo.
So why would anyone make an issue of Bill Bratton - unless they're just playing party politics.
I suppose the top cops trade union - ACPO - might also have its nose out of joint.
But if so that would be an equally daft way - for serious minded people and a serious minded organisation - to behave.
Here's what the Mail on Sunday had to say:
"The rage from Labour politicians and certain chief constables over David Cameron’s decision to consult former New York police chief Bill Bratton on gang culture is utterly synthetic.
Ken Livingstone, when he was London mayor, and John Reid, who was the Labour Home Secretary, met Bratton in London in 2006 to seek his advice on policing.
Brian Coleman, a Tory member of the London Assembly, spent a day with Bratton in Camden, north London, in 2006 with Livingstone and senior Metropolitan Police officers including the then commissioner Ian Blair.
We have been employing Bratton’s safer neighbourhood techniques in north London for years,’ says Coleman. ‘It’s Bratton’s strategy, and Livingstone, the Labour Party, and the Met were completely signed up to it."
Come to think of it - I seem to recall Ken Livingstone hiring an American to run the London underground system on a eye-watering, full-time public salary.
Bob Kiley was his name if I remember correctly - and he came with an impressive track record from his days overseeing the New York metro - without a fuss or hullabaloo.
So why would anyone make an issue of Bill Bratton - unless they're just playing party politics.
I suppose the top cops trade union - ACPO - might also have its nose out of joint.
But if so that would be an equally daft way - for serious minded people and a serious minded organisation - to behave.
