Ian Johnston (police officer)

Sir Ian Johnston
CBE DL QPM
Chief Constable, British Transport Police
In office
May 2001 – September 2009
Preceded by David Williams QPM
Succeeded by Andrew Trotter OBE QPM
Personal details
Born 1945
Nationality British
Alma mater London School of Economics
Occupation Police Officer
Website http://www.btp.police.uk

Sir William Ian Ridley Johnston, CBE, QPM, DL was the Chief Constable of British Transport Police. He became Chief Constable on 1 May 2001 when he succeeded David Williams QPM, who had served as Chief Constable for three and a half years.

Born in 1945, Johnston joined the Metropolitan Police in 1965 and served as Staff Officer to former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Peter Imbert. In 1982, he graduated from London School of Economics with a first in Social Administration.

Having completed the Senior Command Course at Bramshill, Johnston moved to Kent Constabulary in 1989, where he served as Assistant Chief Constable in charge of first Administration and Supply, and then Operations, before moving back to the Metropolitan Police in 1992 as a Deputy Assistant Commissioner.

In 1994 he was appointed Assistant Commissioner for the South East London area, but in 1999 moved to Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for Territorial Policing in 2000.

In the 1995 New Years Honours list he was awarded the Queen's Police Medal, and in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours list the CBE. He was knighted in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[1] In September 2009 Sir Ian retired from the British Transport Police and was succeeded by Andrew Trotter OBE QPM

Johnston came to media attention having given evidence before the enquiry[2] and following the publication of the Macpherson Report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence.[3] On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, Johnston apologised to the Lawrence family for institutionalised racism;[4] but controversially argued that race can legitimately be used by police as a basis for stop and search.[5] Johnston reiterated this argument in the aftermath of the London Tube bombings in 2005.[6] Johnston had been mooted as being the next Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police after the retirement of Sir John Stevens in 2005. Sir John had described Johnston as a "substantial figure" at the Met,[7] and noted that following his departure for British Transport Police Johnston was missed. The role of Commissioner was to be given to Sir Ian Blair.

Ian Johnston currently holds the chair (since April 2005) of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Crime Business Area, and is chairman of Orpington Rovers Football Club, Bromley.

References

  1. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59090. p. 1. 13 June 2009.
  2. ^ Lea, John (2000). "The Macpherson Report and the Question of Institutional Racism". Howard Journal of Criminal Justice 39 (3): 219–233. doi:10.1111/1468-2311.00165. 
  3. ^ Dizaei, Ali (2007). Not One of Us: The Trial That Changed Policing in Britain Forever. London: Serpent's Tail. p. 128. ISBN 9781852429973. 
  4. ^ Peter, Joyce (2006). Criminal Justice: An Introduction. Cullumpton: Willan. p. 487. ISBN 9781843921820. 
  5. ^ Matthews, Roger; Young, Jock (2003). The New Politics of Crime and Punishment. Cullumpton: Willan. pp. 62–63. ISBN 9781903240915. 
  6. ^ Powell, Jason L. (2007). Reconstructing Postmodernism: Critical Debates. New York: Nova Science Publishers. p. 69. ISBN 9781600216381. 
  7. ^ Stevens, John (2005). Not for the Faint Hearted: My Life Fighting Crime. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 268. ISBN 978-0297848424.