There has been much debate over the past five days around how best to tackle the current manifestations of social disorder in the U.K: which is best, the carrot or the stick? Mega-politico blogger Guido Fawkes called this week for Cameron to bolster the stick by reversing his decision on cuts to the police budget. Citing the success of Thatcher's 45% police pay rise as soon as she came to power in 1979, Fawkes is looking so far behind him that he has lost sight of the juicy carrot of reality.
The reality is that two separate reports, Sir Patrick Sheehy in 1993 and Tom Winsor in 2011, have advised that the police pay rise structure introduced in 1979 should be reviewed.
Sheehy concluded in 1993 that police had done so well out of the deal that they were better off than most public sector workers. Winsor pointed out that policemen and women earn up to 60 per cent more than average local earnings in some areas. Both recommended a new system in which rewards for outstanding policing replace special allowances and overtime payments.
Of course, the police should be well paid for the dangerous and necessary job that they do for society but when economic conditions are demanding cutbacks from all; where is this money going to come from?
The fact is, whatever way you dice it, slice it or grate it, the carrot is not big enough to go around. To make the salad of society appetizing we need to toss it with a clever secret ingredient: moral support.
The police don't need more money or more sticks. They need stronger sticks and applause when they use them. Instead of the government holding them back from doing their job, as they did when they held them off the rioters during the first few nights of rioting, the government should be equipping them with a baton full of confidence to get on with what they have been trained to do. A bit of "Go on my son, hit 'em where it hurts".
Instead of the media second-guessing a policeman in the firing line's split second judgment, like they did in the aftermath of the student demonstrations, some mild applause to signify their being given the benefit of the doubt would suffice.
If I was standing on a dark East London street in the middle of the night, being the only thing between a rabid chav and his JD Sports trainers, I would want above all else to know that I had the unconditional respect and support of the government, the media and the public.
It would also help to know that once I've boinked the last yob on the head that evening, I wouldn't have to spend hours back at HQ filling in paperwork. Throwing more money into police pay checks isn't going to make the streets safer, but reallocating budget priorities to trim the glutenous fat of paperwork is.
With a reduced budget focussed on real policing, combined with a review of the pay structure to reward outstanding policing, there would be less crossing of 't's and more wielding of big sticks on our street corners.
Most people are wise enough to know that every healthy society needs a good serving of carrots: sweet, little offerings at the side of the yob's societal plate that reminds him/her that if they behave, pudding will be forthcoming. For some however, they will only follow the carrot if they know a big stick is behind them. To make that stick strong , we should look forward to a leaner, meaner morally supported police force and bite the carrot of cuts.