Andy Cooke
QPM DL
Cooke as Chief Constable of Merseyside Police in 2020
His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
Assumed office
12 April 2021
Preceded bySir Tom Winsor
Personal details
Born
Andrew James Cooke

(1964-03-10) 10 March 1964
Alma materUniversity of Nottingham
ProfessionPolice officer

Andrew James Cooke, QPM, DL (born 10 March 1964) is a British public servant and former police officer. Since 1 April 2022, he has served as His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary and His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services. He had served as a police officer and detective with Merseyside Police and Lancashire Constabulary, rising to become Chief Constable of Merseyside Police from 2016 to 2021.[1][2][3]

Biography

Cooke was born on 10 March 1964 in Liverpool, England. He was educated at St Francis Xavier's College, then a Catholic grammar school in Liverpool.[2] He studied politics at the University of Nottingham, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1985.[1][2]

In 1985, Cooke joined Merseyside Police as a constable. Then, from 1989 to 2008, he served as a detective, working through each rank from detective constable to detective chief superintendent. In 2008, he became a chief officer, having been appointed assistant chief constable of Lancashire Constabulary.[1][2] He was ACC Specialist Operations and ACC Territorial Operations.[1] He returned to Merseyside Police in 2013 as its deputy chief constable, before being appointed its chief constable in 2016.[2] In addition to the roles he held within his force, he was national policing lead for witness protection (2008–2017), for serious and organised crime (2017–2019), and for crime business area (2019–2021).[2]

In February 2021, it was announced that he had been appointed an Inspector of Constabulary for England and Wales: he took up the appointment on 12 April 2021.[4] In March 2022, it was revealed that he was the British government's preferred candidate for the joint role of HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Chief Fire & Rescue Inspector in England.[5] He took up the posts on 12 April 2021, in succession to Sir Tom Winsor.[6]

In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours, Cooke was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (QPM) for his service as Deputy Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.[7] In September 2021, he was made a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) to the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Andy Cooke QPM DL". HMICFRS. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cooke, Andrew James, (born 10 March 1964), HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and HM Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services, since 2022 (HM Inspector, 2021–22)". Who's Who 2023. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  3. ↑ Dodd, Vikram (16 March 2022). "Ex-Merseyside police chief to be new head of policing inspectorate". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  4. ↑ "No. 63269". The London Gazette. 16 February 2021. p. 2682.
  5. ↑ "Andrew Cooke unveiled as preferred candidate for HM Chief Inspector". GOV.UK. Home Office. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "No. 63694". The London Gazette. 11 May 2022. p. 9018.
  7. ↑ "No. 60895". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2014. p. b36.
  8. ↑ "No. 63468". The London Gazette. 9 September 2021. p. 16016.
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