Robert Quick, QPM is a former Assistant Commissioner (Specialist Operations) of London's Metropolitan Police Service responsible for counter terrorism within the United Kingdom.[1]
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Quick joined the police service in 1978, first serving in Lambeth.
In December 2002, he took charge of a police operation in east London to deal with a gunman who had taken a hostage at a flat in Hackney. For this operation he was widely praised for the restraint shown, in what was London's longest armed siege to date.[2]
He later became Chief Constable of Surrey. In 2008 he was succeeded by Mark Rowley as Chief Constable.[3] Quick then returned to London to become an assistant commissioner.
In 2008, Quick ordered the arrest of the Conservative MP, Damian Green, and the search of his House of Commons offices for allegedly leaking government documents, causing immense political controversy. In the aftermath, Quick accused the Conservative party of campaigning to undermine him, an accusation he subsequently withdrew.
On 8 April 2009, when Quick arrived at a briefing at 10 Downing Street he inadvertently exposed a document marked Secret[4] dealing with "Operation Pathway" to photographers[5] which compromised the counter-terrorist operation which the document concerned, forcing police in the North West of England to strike sooner than planned, making twelve arrests within hours.[6] He resigned from his post the next day and was replaced by John Yates.[7]
| Police appointments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Denis O'Connor |
Chief Constable of Surrey Police 2004 – 2008 |
Succeeded by Mark Rowley |
| Preceded by Andy Hayman |
Metropolitan Police Service Assistant Commissioner (Specialist Operations) 2008–2009 |
Succeeded by John Yates |
