MPA appoints Met top officers

29/00
09 November 2000

The Metropolitan Police Authority has appointed six new police Commanders on promotion, five of whom will fill senior posts at the Metropolitan Police, with one confirmed as head of the new Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland office.

The officers, who will take up their new posts shortly, were interviewed by a panel of five MPA members, with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens acting as police adviser.

MPA Chair Toby Harris, who led the promotion panel, said:

"I am extremely pleased that we have been able to appoint six Commanders of distinction.

"We were impressed by the high calibre of each of the candidates, who convinced us of their tactical ability, and strategic approach to community relations and crime reduction.

"Each of these officers will bring many years’ experience to their new posts, which will be of tremendous benefit to the Metropolitan Police and the people of London.

"The Met operates on a scale and level of complexity that has few parallels in British policing. We were looking for exceptional candidates who could, through their skills, professionalism and personal qualities, develop innovative and progressive policing. We have found six such individuals.’

Sir John said:

"Being a Commander in the Metropolitan Police Service is a tough and demanding job, and I’m confident that the right people have been picked for these challenging positions."

Four of the new Commanders are serving Metropolitan Police officers, two are currently with Thames Valley Police.

They are:

Peter Loughborough, 42, and Cressida Dick, 39, of Thames Valley Police; Brian Paddick, 42, David Wood, 44, Jonathan Kaye, 43, and Kevin O’Connell, 47, of the Metropolitan Police. Mr Wood is currently working as Director of Investigations for the new Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, and has now been confirmed in that post.

Biographical notes

Peter Loughborough was educated at Eton College and the University of Bristol. He began his police career as a PC with the Metropolitan Police in Kennington, During 13 years with the Met, Peter acquired considerable operational experience through command roles on a series of inner-city divisions. At this time he earned a commendation for ‘courage and determination’, and led an operation to arrest suppliers of ‘crack’ cocaine on a West London estate. In the Thames Valley Police he is an accredited public order and firearms commander.

Peter’s understanding of the wider context of policing has been complemented by his involvement in the parliamentary process, which has continued following his election in November last year to remain in the House of Lords as an independent Hereditary Peer (Earl of Rosslyn). He is a member of the All-Party Drugs Misuse and Penal Affairs groups.

Cressida Dick was educated at Oxford High School and Balliol College, Oxford. She began her police career as a PC in central London. As a Chief Inspector she was a trainer on the accelerated promotion course at Bramshill police staff college. She returned to Oxford as Area Commander, Thames Valley Police. An experienced football, public order and firearms commander, she reorganised the approach to crime management and to policing major public events.

Brian Paddick was born in Balham and educated at Bec Grammar School, Tooting Bec, London, Sutton Manor High School, Sutton, Surrey and Queen’s College, Oxford. He also has an MBA from Warwick Business School, where his dissertation on vehicle clamping and removals resulted in the Met reorganising their Central Ticket Office. He joined the Metropolitan Police as a PC in Holloway, North London, and worked in Brixton as a Sergeant and later as Deputy Divisional Commander, when he devised a co-ordinated policing strategy. He also worked as Crime Manager in charge of the CID in Notting Hill and as Borough Commander in Merton.

David Wood was educated at Bexley/Erith Technical High School, Woolwich Polytechnic and Exeter University. He is currently studying towards a Master of Studies in Criminology with Cambridge University. David began his police career as a PC in Kennington, became Detective Chief Inspector with the South East Regional Crime Squad where he headed a team of 60 tackling organised crime, and later led the Met’s Anti-Corruption Squad as Detective Chief Superintendent. His father was a Police Inspector with the Met and his son, Daniel is a PC in Brixton.

Jonathan Kaye was educated at Alleyn’s School, Dulwich, Kings College, London, the Open University, Warwick Business School, where he gained an MBA with Distinction, and is currently studying for a Diploma of Applied Criminology with Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He began his police career as a PC in Southwark, and has worked in Dulwich, Brixton, Hammersmith and central London. He was Divisional Commander in charge of Hammersmith and then West End Central. He was also Acting Commander with 1 Area (Central) HQ in charge of inspection and review, complaints and discipline. He is a Second Dan Wado Ryu karate black belt.

Kevin O’Connell was educated at Campion School, Hornchurch, and the University of Durham. He also studied with the University of Thames Valley for a Diploma in Management Studies and with Cambridge University for a Diploma in Criminology. He began his police career as a PC in Southall and also served in Paddington, Hammersmith, Wandsworth and Hounslow.

Notes to editors

The Metropolitan Police Authority took over responsibility for the Metropolitan Police Service from the Home Secretary on 3 July.

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback