John Waldron (police officer)
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Sir John Lovegrove Waldron, KCVO (1910-1975) was Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police from 1968 to 1972 and Chief Constable of Berkshire Constabulary from 1954 to 1958.
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[edit] Early career
Educated at Charterhouse School, Surrey, Clare College, Cambridge and Hendon Police College, John Waldron joined the Metropolitan Police in 1934. After a three year secondment as the Deputy Inspector-General of CID in Ceylon, Waldron returned to England to take up the post of Assistant Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary in 1951. In 1954 he became Chief Constable of Berkshire Constabulary (now part of Thames Valley Police).
[edit] Return to the Metropolitan Police
In 1958, Waldron returned to London where he was made Assistant Commissioner "B" (Traffic) by the then-Commissioner, Sir Joseph Simpson. After five years in charge of Traffic, he transferred to Assistant Commissioner "A" (Uniform). In 1965, Waldron was responsible for organising the policing of the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill, a duty for which he was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by Queen Elizabeth II in 1966.
By 1966, Waldron was promoted to Deputy Commissioner, the second highest rank in the Met. When the Commissioner, Joseph Simpson, died suddenly, Waldron was appointed his successor. The appointment was assumed by many to be a temporary fill-in role, but circumstances such as a rise in police salaries and pensions, and the fall of the Labour government in 1970 saw Waldron stay on for several years longer than expected.
[edit] The Waldron Reforms
A management consultancy firm had been engaged to assess the structure and operations of the Metropolitan Police during Simpson's tenure as Commissioner, and their report was released shortly after Simpson's death and Waldron's appointment. Waldron and his deputies decided not to proceed with many of the report's more drastic recommendations, and the creation of the Greater London Council and the new London boroughs were causing significant strain on territorial policing of London.
Waldron did, however, set in motion the move to Area-based policing, and renamed the former Police Districts into Areas, and the former Divisions were renamed Districts.
[edit] Retirement
Waldron retired in 1972, although several allegations of corruption within the police force during the end and after his tenure tainted his reputation somewhat.
| Police Appointments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Joseph Simpson |
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis 1968–1972 |
Succeeded by Sir Robert Mark |
[edit] References
- Fido, Martin; Keith Skinner (1999). The Official Encyclopedia of Scotland Yard. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0515-0.
