Have you ever wondered where our own Mayor White and Chief Hurtt get some of their wacky ideas on crime fighting such as the no-chase policy? It would appear they import them from Europe.

Muggers could be hit with £100 [about $188] on-the-spot fines under controversial new proposals.

Home Office officials have drawn up plans for an extension of the fixed penalty notice system, which could cover almost 30 offences including assaulting a police officer, mugging, theft, drunkenness and possession of cannabis.

Police already issue penalty notices for low-level offences such as criminal damage and shoplifting.

The Brits are seeking to remove many of these offenses from the court system so as to alleviate judicial backlog and reduce costs. This means mugging someone then assaulting a responding bobby could simply cost the perp a few hundred dollars and no court appearance if he is caught. The effort is being sold as an attempt to “rebalance” British justice.

Home Secretary John Reid vowed at Labour’s annual conference in Manchester yesterday that he would rebalance the criminal justice system and suggested violent offenders could be forced to pay for the health care of their victims.

Let’s review the steps in Britain’s crime fighting efforts.

1. Install cameras to watch everyone
2. Decriminalize bad behavior
3. “Tax” said behavior
4. Cash in while crime increases

Could this “British Model” for crime fighting be the one adopted in the now-smoke-free back rooms of the White Administration?  It certainly sounds like a recent city program.