Geoffrey Dear, Baron Dear

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Geoffrey James Dear, Baron Dear, QPM, (born 20 September 1937) is a British police officer.

He was born to Cecil William Dear and Violet Mackney and was educated at the Fletton Grammar School in Huntingdonshire. In 1968, he received a Bachelor of Laws degree from University College London.

He was described by Sir Robin Day as "the best known and most respected police officer of his generation".

He began his police career in Peterborough in 1956,and also served in Cambridge where he was Divisional Commander.

Dear was Assistant Chief Constable in Nottinghamshire 1972 to 1980, and worked for the Metropolitan Police from 1980 to 1985. As next step in his career, he became Chief Constable at the West Midlands Police, a post he held until 1990. Dear was HM Inspector of Constabulary from 1990 to 1997.During his career, he conducted a number of high-profile reviews and investigations including the Brixton Riots 1981; the shooting of Steven Waldorf 1983; the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster 1989. He was a member of the Glidewell review into the Crown Prosecution Service 1997/8; advised the Auld Review of the Criminal Courts process 2002, and the Virdi Enquiry 2003.

Dear married Married Judith Stocker in 1958. After the death of his first wife in 1996, he married Alison Martin Jones two years later. He has two daughters and a son by his first marriage.

In 1979, he was decorated with the Queen's Commendation for Bravery, and three years later with the Queen's Police Medal. He was knighted in 1997 and created a life peer as Baron Dear, of Willersey in the County of Gloucestershire on 2 May 2006.

He has held a number of remunerated positions as Non-Executive Director or Chairman, and is currently Non-Executive Chairman of Key Forensic Services Ltd; Forensic DNA Services Ltd; Omniperception Ltd and Action Against Business Crime Ltd. He is a non-executive director of Skyguard Technologies Ltd, and is a member of the advisory board of Pegasus Bridge Fund Management LLP

He takes an active and regular part in the business of the House of Lords, speaking from the Cross Benches on home affairs, criminal justice, and rural affairs.

He is Deputy Lieutenant of Worcestershire, and was Vice Lord Lieutenant of that county from 1998/01