Colin Woods

Who was Colin Woods?

Sir Colin Philip Joseph Woods KCVO CBE QPM was a British police officer in the London Metropolitan Police, who was also the first Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, from 1979 to 1982.

Born in London, Woods was the son of a Metropolitan Police Sub-Divisional Inspector and was educated at Finchley Grammar School. He served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps and the Royal Ulster Rifles throughout the Second World War, from 1939 to 1946, and then joined the Metropolitan Police as a Constable, rising through the ranks to Deputy Commander.

In 1966, he was promoted Commander and in 1968 Deputy Assistant Commissioner. The following year he was appointed Commandant of Bramshill Police College, and in 1970 returned to the Met as Assistant Commissioner "B". On 31 March 1972 he was moved to be Assistant Commissioner "C". This caused a certain amount of controversy, since he had never previously served in the Criminal Investigation Department, which he was now taking over. Robert Mark, the new Commissioner, had already stated that he believed uniformed and CID officers should be interchangeable in senior posts, and Woods's appointment was the first example of this policy. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1973 Birthday Honours. In 1975, Mark appointed Woods Deputy Commissioner. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1977 Birthday Honours.