British PM Cameron pledges 'zero tolerance' approach to street crime

British Prime Minister David Cameron told the police to take a 'zero tolerance' approach to street crime in the wake of the worst riots to hit Britain in the past 30 years, The Sunday Telegraph reported. The 'zero tolerance' tactics is a tough system of policing, which was first popularized in the United States and sees even minor offences prosecuted vigorously to send out the message that no form of law-breaking will be tolerated, Cameron said in an interview with the paper. "I will be saying much more about that because I think it is true," Cameron said. "We haven't talked the language of zero tolerance enough but the message is getting through." The British premier has recruited Bill Bratton, the former U.S. "supercop", to advise him, the paper said. Cameron has approved the use of water cannon if necessary to quell violence and signaled that police will be allowed to order rioters to remove face coverings, and threatened the possible disruption of social messaging networks if they are used to instigate trouble, the paper said. A wave of riots and looting engulfed many British cities in recent days, leaving at least five people dead. British police have arrested over 1,000 people over last week's disturbances.