Queen Elizabeth II on Monday appointed Bernard Hogan-Howe as the new Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service.

Speaking to reporters at Scotland Yard, Bernard said he wanted to lead a force that criminals feared and the public trusted. He vowed to petrify criminals through his hard-hitting approach in dealing with crime. He said, The idea is to make the criminals fear the police and what they are doing now.

This is the force's third appointment in six years, after the controversial exit of previous chiefs Sir Ian Blair and Sir Paul Stephenson.

The new Met chief faces a massive task - he will have to boost the morale of the force in the aftermath of the phone hacking scam, London riots and robbery incidents. He will also be responsible for the counter terrorism plan in the wake of Olympic Games next year in London.

Many members of the Metropolitan Police Authority wanted Sir Hugh, who has seven years experience as Chief Constable of Northern Ireland, to be the new chief. But Home Secretary Theresa May, who had been furious over Sir Hugh's open criticism of government policies, was not in favor of such move.

Mail Online quoted her as saying, Bernard has an excellent track record as a tough single-minded crime fighter. He showed that in his time as Chief Constable of Merseyside, and I am sure he is going to bring those skills and that ability to fight crime to the Metropolitan Police here in London.

Barnard's zero tolerance approach towards crime resulted in 25 per cent reduction in anti-social behavior in Merseyside. Crime rate came down drastically. During his five-year tenure from 2004 to 2009, Barnard targeted hooligans, drug addicts and fare dodgers. The hallmark of his work tenure was that the force, which had been rated worst in the country for public confidence, turned out to be one of the best in the country.

The crime rate in London has gone up in recent years. The recent riots have exposed the loopholes in the system. The racial incidents revealed by the Home Office during 2010-11 have been recorded at 51,187.

The appointment of Barnard Hogan-Howe as new chief of Met may has raised the expectation of the government in tackling the mass violence, but the rise of unemployment and financial crunch will be the factors that may lead to mass protest again. Perhaps, there will be dismay among people if the government failed to curb the financial crunch and unemployment.

Unemployment London Security Unemployment