West Yorkshire Police chief constable receives Knighthood

Sir John Robins QPM DL has dedicated his entire career to the force. Since joining as a constable in 1990, he has taken on varied responsibilities and leadership positions that ultimately led to his appointment as chief constable in 2019. He is now one of the longest serving chief constables in the UK.

On receiving the honour for ‘services to policing’, Sir John said: “I am truly humbled by this honour. Like many colleagues, I chose to dedicate my whole working life to policing. For me, policing is a vocation; to receive a knighthood for doing a job that I feel so strongly about means so much. I am both surprised and delighted. I am also very proud to represent policing and West Yorkshire at the heart of the national honours system.

“I have focused my whole career on reducing crime, protecting the vulnerable and reassuring the public that we are here for them. I know that police officers, staff and volunteers do that every day across our county and our country. I thank them for their public service and I am honoured to be their colleague.”

He added: “I am indebted to my wife and family for their unwavering support over many decades and the dedication they have given to my policing career.

“Uniquely, I have spent my whole career in West Yorkshire Police, it is a part of me. The officers, staff and volunteers who I work alongside are outstanding. I look forward to working with them for many years to come, as we continue to serve the communities of West Yorkshire together.”

Alongside leading the fourth biggest police force in the country, Sir John also leads one of the largest counter terrorism units outside of London – Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE) – and has responsibility for the region’s Scientific Support Services (RSSS) and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU).

Nationally, he leads the National Police Air Service (NPAS) which provides aviation support across England and Wales.