New Assistant Commissioner for the MPS

Patricia Gallan has been appointed assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Ms Gallan will lead the Specialist Crime and Operations Directorate taking over from Cressida Dick who leaves the MPS next week for a director-general position at the Foreign Office.

Commissioner of the MPS, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said he is delighted to welcome Ms Gallan to her new post.

“Having worked with her for several years, I know her commitment, professionalism and wealth of experience will be a real asset to this role.”

Ms Gallan is currently deputy assistant commissioner for Specialist Operations – security and protection but has served under Sir Bernard in the MPS and at Merseyside Police, where he appointed her assistant chief constable in 2006.

She began her policing career in 1987 and quickly transferred to CID. In March 2000, she moved to specialist operations and led the unit dealing with informants.

As a Detective Superintendent, Ms Gallan worked in covert policing before serving as staff officer to the then deputy commissioner. She left the MPS in January 2005 and served as assistant chief constable with the National Crime Squad, leading on undercover policing operations, informants, witness protection and intelligence.

Until she rejoined the MPS in May 2012, she was assistant chief constable at Merseyside Police, with responsibility for operational support, including serious and organised crime, the mounted branch and roads policing, and had a secondment to the Home Office as a temporary deputy chief constable.

She rejoined the MPS as deputy assistant commissioner in charge of the Directorate of Professionalism.

When Ms Gallan begins her new role in the next month she will have overall responsibility for units including the Homicide and Major Crime Command, Trident, the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, the firearms command, intelligence, public order and traffic.

Ms Gallan said: “I am pleased and honoured to be appointed to this post and excited about the opportunity it presents to work with some of the best detectives in the country plus a diverse range of operational units, all of which contribute to making London a safer place to be.”

The deputy assistant commissioner role will be filled in due course.