Sara Thornton

Who is Sara Thornton?

Sara Joanne Thornton CBE QPM is a British police officer who is the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and Vice President of the Association of Chief Police Officers. She replaced former Chief Constable Peter Neyroud who, in January 2007, moved to the role of Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency.

Thornton was born in Poole, Dorset. She attended the University of Durham and gained a BA in philosophy and politics. Thornton also has a Diploma in Applied Criminology from the Cambridge Institute of Criminology.

Thornton's policing career began with the Metropolitan Police in 1986. For the next 14 years she alternated between operational postings in West London and strategic roles within New Scotland Yard. She joined Thames Valley Police as the Assistant Chief Constable for Specialist Operations in November 2000 and was appointed Deputy Chief Constable in August 2003, where her responsibilities included performance and developing the strategic direction for the Force. More recently she has played a pivotal role in implementing Neighbourhood Policing across the Thames Valley.