Present
Husband of one. Father of nine. Working in medical regulation.
Past
- 20 years of crimefighting experience, starting as a Lancashire police officer at the sharp end on the beat in Chorley, Skelmersdale and Accrington. 12 years as a local government officer leading crime reduction partnerships in Warrington, Preston and Blackburn – tackling drugs, anti-social behaviour and violent extremism.
- County Councillor for Chorley South on Lancashire County Council for 4 years, chairing what the District Auditor described as the “challenging and effective” Audit and Governance Committee.
- A school Governor for 8 years, a member of Lancashire’s Probation Board for 3 years, and a Director of Lancashire Partnership Against Crime for 4 years.
Previous work
Crime Reduction – working together with partners to cut crime again and again in one town after another, including halving burglary rates in Preston, and then doing the same in Blackburn, with significant cuts in violent crime and vehicle crime.
Justice – as one of the first Case Review Managers at the Commission that decides which criminal cases go back to the appeal courts, investigating miscarriages of justice and helping to set up a vital part of the criminal justice system.
Law – after studying law during degrees from Oxford and Coventry universities, my Master’s research focussed on how UK human rights law impacts on bigamy and polygamy. This was cited internationally and entered in evidence in a constitutional case before the British Columbia Supreme Court.
Policing and Politics – founded and edited Top Of The Cops, which both the Guardian and the Times described on the first Police and Crime Commissioner election day as the best blog on the topic.
Interests
Christianity, including apologetics, creation, and biblical approaches to family law, especially divorce and polygamy.
UK politics – Conservative and Unionist.
Contact
By email to Editor at TopOfTheCops.com