Association of Chief Police Officers
The Association of Chief Police Officers Of England, Wales and Northern Irelandis a membership body made up largely of senior police officers. Although not a public body, it exercises an important strategic role in policing.
Contents
Role
Although a membership body, ACPO emphasises that it is not a staff association. This role is exercised by the separate Chief Police Officers' Association.[1]
THe ACPO website states:
- In the public interest and, in equal and active partnership with Government and the Association of Police Authorities, ACPO leads and coordinates the direction and development of the police service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In times of national need ACPO - on behalf of all chief officers - coordinates the strategic policing response.[2]
Structure
ACPO describes itself as "an independent, professionally led strategic body."[3] It operates as a private company limited by guarantee, governed by a board of directors.[4]
This status has given rise to some criticism given the Association's strategic role. For example, the Guardian's Henry Porter has written:
- despite its important role in drafting and implementing policies that affect the fundamental freedoms of this country, ACPO is protected from freedom of information requests and its proceedings remain largely hidden from public view. In reality ACPO is no more troubled by public scrutiny than the freemasons.[5]
Membership
ACPO describes its membership as follows:
- ACPO's members are police officers who hold the rank of Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable or Assistant Chief Constable, or their equivalents, in the forty four forces of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, national police agencies and certain other forces in the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, and certain senior non-police staff. There are presently 280 members of ACPO.[6]
Funding and finances
ACPO is funded "by a combination of a Home Office grant, contributions from each of the 44 Police Authorities, membership subscriptions and by the proceeds of its annual exhibition."[7]
People
- Sir Ken Jones QPM - President
- Sir Paul Scott-Lee QPM - Vice President
- Sir Hugh Orde OBE - Vice President
- Tim Hollis QPM - Vice President
- Ian McPherson - Head, Children & Young People
- Julie Spence - Head, Citizen Focus
- Ian Johnston - Head, Crime
- Tim Godwin - Head, Criminal Justice
- Dr Tim Brain - Head, Finance & Resources
- Sir Norman Bettison - Head, Futures
- Ailsa Beaton - Head, Information Management
- Roger Baker - Head, Performance Management
- Steve Otter - Head, Race & Diversity
- Meredydd Hughes Head, Uniformed Operations
- Peter Fahy Head, Workforce Development
Terrorism & Allied Matters
- Robert Quick - Chairman
- Sir Paul Scott-Lee - Vice Chair
- Sir Norman Bettison - Vice Chair
- Peter Fahy - Vice Chair
- Sara Thornton - Vice Chair
Affiliations
Subsidiaries
- National Co-ordinator for Domestic Extremism
- National Extremism Tactical Co-ordination Unit
- National Public Order Intelligence Unit
- Confidential Intelligence Unit
Contact details, Resources, Notes
Contact
- Address: 1st Floor, 10 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0NN
- Phone:020 7084 8950
- Website: http://www.acpo.police.uk
External Resources
Notes
- ↑ About Us, Association of Chief Police Officers, accessed 12 February 2009.
- ↑ Association of Chief Police Officers, ACPO homepage, accessed 12 February 2009.
- ↑ Association of Chief Police Officers, ACPO homepage, accessed 12 February 2009.
- ↑ About Us, Association of Chief Police Officers, accessed 12 February 2009.
- ↑ The secret police are watching you, by Henry Porter, Comment Is Free, guardian.co.uk, 10 February 2009.
- ↑ About Us, Association of Chief Police Officers, accessed 12 February 2009.
- ↑ About Us, Association of Chief Police Officers, accessed 12 February 2009.
