In practice, zero-tolerance policing in New York has mostly been the job of the Street Crimes Unit.

ECONOMIST: The dark side of zero tolerance

It is the remaining 39, 000 police officers who impose zero-tolerance policing, without much need for aggressive street searches.

ECONOMIST: The infernal regions

For a start, there is much argument about the extent to which these amazing figures can be attributed to zero-tolerance policing.

ECONOMIST: The dark side of zero tolerance

It's time to bring zero-tolerance policing to the streets of Britain.

BBC: NEWS | UK | UK Politics | David Davis speech in full

As practised in New York, zero-tolerance policing has gone too far.

ECONOMIST: The dark side of zero tolerance

Boston, for instance, has seen similar falls in its murder rate, yet it rejected zero-tolerance policing in favour of close co-ordination between the police, probation officers and black leaders, and an effort to get guns off the streets.

ECONOMIST: The dark side of zero tolerance

Mr Mallon rose to fame with his introduction of US-style zero tolerance policing, earning the nickname "Robocop" for his uncompromising style as a detective superintendent in Middlesbrough.

BBC: NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Licence for local mavericks?