Maria Wallis
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Maria Wallis QPM was the Chief Constable of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in the United Kingdom from 2002 until 26 July 2006.
She served with the Metropolitan Police Service for 18 years undertaking various roles including working at the Community Relations Policy Unit at New Scotland Yard as a Chief Inspector, with responsibility for developing policies on Domestic Violence and Racial Attacks, as well as working as a Detective Superintendent in South East London.
She became the Deputy Chief Constable of Sussex and was short-listed to head the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in her native Northern Ireland, but withdrew following her promotion to Devon & Cornwall (see [1]).
Although she presided over the fourth largest reduction in crime out of all the police force areas of the UK in 2005-2006, there were internal problems during her period in charge, particularly a dispute over a pay review and another dispute over resources during a series of murder cases. Following a loss of confidence in her management she was asked to stand down by the Police Authority in July 2006 (see [2]).
On the day of her retirement, Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales & Northern Ireland (ACPO) President Ken Jones said:
“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and support to Maria Wallis who has dedicated many years to the police service and has been outstanding in her contribution to the national work of ACPO as well as to the forces in which she has served.
“It is the job of a chief constable to raise performance and drive down crime, both of which have been achieved under the leadership of Maria. Nationally, Maria, on behalf of all chief constables, has spearheaded key criminal justice reforms and led the service through the development of Local Criminal Justice Boards. She has helped improve services for victims and witnesses and seen through significant changes to the charging regime. Her departure is a great loss to the service and she will be very much missed” (see [3]).
She was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in January 2002.
She is a Roman Catholic native of County Fermanagh; married but without children.
