Former chief constable John Alderson dies at 89

Tributes have been paid to John Alderson, a former Devon and Cornwall Police chief constable, who died at the age of 89 earlier this month after a glittering career in the police service.

John Cottingham Alderson CBE QPM, who was born on May 28, 1922, has been fondly remembered for his significant contribution to the police service. Before joining the service shortly after the Second World War, Mr Alderson served in the Highland Light Infantry and reached the rank of corporal before transferring to the Army Physical Training Corps (APTC) in 1941. He served with the APTC in North Africa and Italy and left the military in 1946 with the rank of Warrant Officer Class II.

Following his military career, he joined the then West Riding Constabulary as a PC, representing the force in boxing and rugby. Mr Alderson subsequently worked his way up the ranks and attended the National Police College in 1954 following which he was promoted to inspector in 1955 and superintendent in 1960. He also attended the Senior Command Course at the Police College between 1963-64 and was then appointed deputy chief constable of Dorset.

In 1966, Mr Alderson transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) as deputy commander and in 1967 became second-in-command of No3 District (North-East London). The following year he was appointed deputy assistant commissioner and in 1970 was seconded as Commandant of the National Police College. In 1973 he returned to London as assistant commissioner, but remained in the post less than a year before being appointed chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in November 1973. As chief constable of the force he finally retired in, he built a reputation for radical ideas which were not always popular with other senior police officers, and was also a champion of community policing.

Stephen Otter, chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “We were very saddened to hear of the recent death of John Alderson. He is remembered for his highly principled and thoughtful leadership which established a model of community policing which is still cherished by the public of Devon and Cornwall today. Our thoughts and sympathy are with his family and friends at this time of sadness.”

He was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) in 1974 and appointed CBE in 1981.

After he retired from the service, Mr Alderson became involved with a number of academic institutions. He became a Fellow Commoner of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and a fellow of the Cambridge Institute of Criminology in 1982 and was also Gwilym Gibbon Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford from 1982 to 1983.