John Alderson

Who was John Alderson?

John Cottingham Alderson CBE QPM was a senior British police officer and expert on police and penal affairs.

Alderson was born in Barnsley, West Riding of Yorkshire, and educated at Barnsley Technical College. In 1938 he enlisted in the Highland Light Infantry as a boy soldier and reached the rank of Corporal before transferring to the Army Physical Training Corps in 1941. He served with the APTC in North Africa and Italy and left the Army in 1946 with the rank of Warrant Officer Class II.

He then joined the West Riding Constabulary as a Constable, representing the force in boxing and rugby. He attended the National Police College in 1954 and was promoted Inspector in 1955 and Superintendent in 1960. In 1956 he was a British Memorial Foundation Fellow in Australia and that year he was also called to the bar by the Middle Temple. He attended the Senior Command Course at the Police College in 1963–1964 and was then appointed Deputy Chief Constable of Dorset.

In 1966, he transferred to the Metropolitan Police in London as Deputy Commander and in 1967 became second-in-command of No.3 District. In 1968 he became Deputy Assistant Commissioner and in 1970 was seconded as Commandant of the National Police College. In 1973 he returned to London as Assistant Commissioner "D", but remained in the post less than a year before being appointed Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall in November 1973, where he remained until his retirement in May 1982.