John Smith

Who is John Smith?

Sir John Alfred Smith QPM is a retired British police officer with the London Metropolitan Police.

Smith was educated at St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School in Orpington, Kent. He served with the Irish Guards from 1959 to 1962 and then joined the Metropolitan Police as a constable. By 1979 he was a Detective Chief Superintendent and head of the Drugs Squad at Scotland Yard. In 1980 he was promoted to Commander and took over "P" District in Bromley and Lewisham. In 1981 he transferred to Surrey Constabulary as Deputy Chief Constable, but in 1984 returned to the Metropolitan Police as Deputy Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Complaints Investigation Bureau and in 1985 joined the Force Inspectorate and Force Reorganisation Team.

In August 1987 he was appointed Assistant Commissioner Management Support. In 1989 he was shortlisted for the post of Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, but lost out to his colleague Hugh Annesley, and in March 1990 he was shortlisted for the post of Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, but again lost out to Ronald Hadfield. In 1989 he did succeed Annesley as Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations. In August 1990 he became HM Inspector of Constabulary for South East England, but in April 1991 returned to the Metropolitan Police once more as Deputy Commissioner, a post he held until his retirement in 1995. As Deputy Commissioner, he introduced a number of reforms, attempting to change police culture by making officers look on themselves as a "service" rather than a "force". He was widely expected to succeed Sir Peter Imbert as Commissioner on his retirement in 1993, but the job went instead to Paul Condon. Smith also served as president of the Association of Chief Police Officers in 1993–1994.