Policing by Consent Bollocks

I've just watched the Chairwoman of the Kent Police Authority telling us all on BBC Southeast News (its usually on the BBC that you hear this kind of crap) that David Cameron is wrong to bring in Bill Bratton to advise on gang and crowd policing because, unlike the Americans, we in this country have a system of 'policing by consent'.  

It's the umpteenth time I've heard this ludicrous phrase from wool-brained  liberals in the last few weeks.  What in God's name do they mean by it?  What DOES 'policing by consent' mean?  Have the people who utter it the remotest clue what they mean by it?  

Do they mean that in this country the police only take action against criminals if the criminals consent to their taking action against them?  Presumably not.  

Do they mean that in this country the police only take action against a criminal after carrying out a public consultation process to see if the people agree?  Presumably not.  

Do they mean they take action against criminals only after clearing it with ministers in each case?  Presumably not (in fact the police have been busily rubbishing the idea all week that ministers have any part at all to play in policing decisions of any kind).  

Do they mean that in this country police chiefs are elected to ensure that their methods reflect the will of the people whereas in the USA they are not?  Er, no, because as it happens it's exactly the other way round.

Do they mean that we in this country have a very British sense of fair play and think therefore that things should be arranged in such a way that the criminal has at least a 50-50 chance of getting away with it?  I fear some wool-brained liberals do sort of think in this way, but presumably they wouldn't want to admit it, so this can't be what they mean by 'policing by consent'.


Do they mean that crime is more acceptable the less well-off you are, so if you are  working hard going to the Post Office every Monday morning to collect your benefits you should be cut a lot more slack by the cops than if you are a toffee-nosed middle class rich bastard?  Just about the entire left-wing political establishment probably thinks in this way, but again, presumably wouldn't want to admit that this is what they mean by 'policing by consent'.

So what DO they mean by it for Christ's sake?  Can someone please put me out of my misery?

Better still, can someone tell me how we can rid ourselves of these wool-brained idiots occupying influential positions all over the country who are a major part of the reason why we are in the the bloody awful mess we now find ourselves in.