Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Sceptre (talk | contribs) at 01:11, 12 April 2008 (→Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis: +two or so lines about JCdM). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (March 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Sir Ian Warwick Blair, QPM (born 19 March 1953) is a senior United Kingdom police officer who currently holds the office of Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, or head of the Metropolitan Police Service.

Blair is responsible for the policing the metropolitan area of the capital city of London, with the notable exception of the City of London itself. The relatively small area of the City of London, essentially London's financial district, is policed by its own City of London Police, under the command of its own Commissioner.

As the head of the Metropolitan Police, Blair is often regarded as the most senior police officer in the United Kingdom, though technically his authority is confined to his own force.

Education and early career

After attending Wrekin College, Shropshire and Harvard High School, Los Angeles, Blair read English Language and English Literature at Christ Church, Oxford. He was awarded a second-class degree.

He commenced his police career in 1974, joining under the graduate entry scheme. He started as a Police Constable in the Soho area of London, and served in both uniform and CID in central London over the next 17 years. In 1985, he was Detective Chief Inspector at CID in Kentish Town, north London, in which role he was responsible for identifying the victims of the King's Cross fire. He reached the rank of Chief Superintendent in 1991, and then spent two years outside the Met as Staff Officer in HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.

In 1994, he moved to Thames Valley Police as Assistant Chief Constable, and that same year took charge of policing the protests over the construction of the Newbury bypass. Blair became Deputy Chief Constable for the Thames Valley Police in 1997. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 1999 and received a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2003 for services to the Police.

Blair was formerly Deputy Commissioner, and before that Chief Constable of Surrey Police.

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis

Blair took up his current post as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on 1 February 2005, taking over from Sir John Stevens (now Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington). Several months into his tenure, he was heavily involved in an investigation into the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, a Brazilian terrorism suspect. After he learned that de Menezes was not a terrorist, he briefly considered resigning. On 1 November 2007, a jury convicted the Metropolitan Police of violating health and safety laws, highlighting 19 "catastrophic errors" but said it was an "isolated breach under quite extraordinary circumstances". Blair rejected a vote of no confidence a week later.

Ranks & Honours

• Mr Ian Blair (1953-1974)
• PC Ian Blair (1974-various ranks-1985)
• DCI Ian Blair (1985-1988)
• Supt. Ian Blair (1988-1991)
• Ch. Supt. Ian Blair (1991-1994)
• Asst. Ch. Const. Ian Blair (1994-1997)
• Dep. Ch. Const. Ian Blair (1997-1999)
• Dep. Ch. Const. Ian Blair QPM (1999-?)
• Chief Constable Ian Blair QPM (?-2000)
• Dep. Comm. Ian Blair QPM (2000-2003)
• Dep. Comm. Sir Ian Blair QPM (2003-2005)
• Commissioner Sir Ian Blair QPM (2005-)

The various ranks that Blair would have held between 1974 and 1985 are Sergeant/Detective Sergeant and Inspector/Detective Inspector.

References

1. "Police head 'considered quitting'", BBC, 22 September 2005
2. De Menezes shooting: Police guilty of 'catastrophic errors' , The Independent, 2 November 2007
3. Sir Ian Blair defies no confidence motion, Times Online, 7 November 2007
4. Biography - Metropolitan Police Service website - http://www.met.police.uk/about/blair.htm

Bibliography

• Investigating Rape: A New Approach for Police (1985)

External links

• Sir Ian Blair profile at BBC News
• Biography on the Metropolitan Police website

• Misplaced Pages neutral point of view disputes from March 2008
• 1953 births
• Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
• British Chief Constables
• Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis
• Knights Bachelor
• Metropolitan Police
• Recipients of the Queen's Police Medal
• Living people
• Old Wrekinians