Cressida Dick

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Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick (born 1960) is a senior officer in London's Metropolitan Police. Prior to 2005 she was a largely unknown figure, but became well-known as a result of being the officer in command of the operation that led to the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. In September 2006, she was promoted to the rank of Deputy Assistant Commissioner.

[edit] Early life

The third and youngest child of Cecilia Dick (nee Buxton), an Oxford historian, she was born and raised in Oxford and educated at The Dragon School (Oxford), Oxford High School and Balliol College, Oxford. Before joining the police force, she had worked in a fish and chip shop and in a large accountancy firm.

[edit] Police career

In 1983, she joined the Metropolitan Police as a Constable. In 1993, she joined the staff of the Accelerated Promotion Course at Bramshill Police College, and in 1995, joined Thames Valley Police as a Superintendent. She was Superintendent Operations at Oxford, and later, as a Chief Superintendent, served as Area Commander in Oxford for three years. She completed the Strategic Command Course and was awarded a Master of Philosophy degree in Criminology from the University of Cambridge, in 2001, coming first in her class.

In June 2001, she returned to the Metropolitan Police as a Commander. She was head of the Diversity Directorate until 2003, when she became head of Operation Trident, which investigates gun crimes within London's black community. She was the Gold Commander in the control room during operation that led to the death of the young Brazilian man Jean Charles de Menezes, falsely identified as a suicide bomber, on 22 July 2005.

In September 2006, the Metropolitan Police Authority announced her promotion to the rank of Deputy Assistant Commissioner. On hearing this news, the family of the young Brazilian man said they were "absolutely disgusted and outraged at what is just one more slap in the face". [1]