As part of efforts to end the ongoing riots in London, British Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament Thursday he is willing to consult former Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton.
29-year-old Mark Duggan was shot by police in London's Tottenham neighborhood on August 4, sparking days of riots, fires, and disorder that police have struggled to control.
"We will not put up with this in our country," Cameron said during a recalled session of Parliament. "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."
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 in 2009 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.
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