Letter: Britain will rise from rioting

It has been difficult to avoid hearing about the horrific rioting in Britain ["What to make of the 'English spring,'" Opinion, Aug. 12]. My heart goes out to the families and businesses that have been unfairly harmed by these events. The behavior concerned is criminal, pure and simple. The British government will not tolerate looting, vandalism and gang behavior. Though these outbreaks have been isolated to only a few locations in Britain, the actions of these individuals remains wholly unacceptable. Over 1,000 arrests have been made. More will follow.

On Thursday, Prime Minister David Cameron told the House of Commons that Britain will use all means necessary to restore order. London and other cities are calmer, the police stand ready to quell any further incidents. I am heartened by the efforts of my fellow Brits to help restore order. Over a million people have signed up on Facebook to support the cleanup efforts. Communities are working to restore a sense of normality.

We're determined to learn the lessons for policing strategy and the underlying issues. Cameron has expressed interest in calling upon other major cities with experience in combating gang violence, including New York. This creates room for an international dialogue on how to preserve safety in towns and cities around the world.

I am confident that these events will not distract the world from the fact that the coming year is a big one for Britain: 2012 will mark the celebration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, and Her Majesty the Queen will celebrate her diamond jubilee. Britain remains open for business and fully operational.

As our prime minister said, we have seen the worst of Britain -- but we have also seen the best of Britain. I am confident that it is the best of Britain that will prevail.

Danny Lopez, Manhattan

Editor's note: The writer is the British consul-general for New York.