Community Leader Wanted - Immediate Start

As can be seen from any news story where there has been a bit of aggravation in our communities, the police always seem to appeal to community leaders. Said community leaders often either appeal for calm, or accuse the police of something unpleasant. They willingly provide interviews full of righteous rhetoric and accusations of failure. This seems a fine and responsible position to fulfill in life. So, how does one become a community leader? I have searched the internet and my local library without success. Do these fabled beings follow the traditional democratic route? No. Are they carried through the streets as on-lookers demand leadership? No. It seems they become community leaders by saying they are community leaders. Not a bad number.

There was a murder investigation several years ago, where the victim was killed in a park frequented by the gay community. A gentleman approached police and claimed to speak on behalf of the users of the park. He became a liaison point for the enquiry team, and obtained Met Police headed letters thanking him for his work and so on. All well and good until he used the letters as a reference to obtain a job with Social Services. He was arrested a few weeks later for indecently assaulting a young male.