Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison, Central Operations

Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison has been in the Metropolitan Police Service for the whole of his policing career and for the majority of these 25 years, this has been as a uniformed officer. He is currently leads the Central Operations Business Group and is responsible for Public Order, Operational Support, Roads Policing, Specialist Firearms, Traffic Criminal Justice Unit and the planning for the policing of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

During his service, he has served on a number of divisions as he was promoted through the ranks, as well at a headquarters post and on the Territorial Support Group as an Inspector. After a period at Hammersmith and Fulham as the Chief Inspector and Superintendent, he then spent two years as Staff Officer to the then Deputy Commissioner, Sir John Stevens.

In 2000, he returned to the City of Westminster where he served as both Superintendent and Chief Superintendent before attending the Strategic Command Course. At its conclusion, he was selected for Commander and was posted back to the City of Westminster as the Borough Commander, a post that he held for over four and a half years. In 2007, he was promoted to Deputy Assistant Commissioner and moved into the Central Operations Business Group.

Throughout his service, he has been heavily involved in the policing of public order events, these ranging from football matches, small marches and demonstrations, all the way through to the resolution of severe public disorder.

Since 1996, he has been a member of the MPS Public Order Command Cadre and he is also a member of all of the other Command Cadres in the MPS. As a part of these Cadres, he has undertaken a command role at most of the major events and incidents that have taken place in London over the last few years. He was the Police Gold Commander for the terrorist atrocities that took place on the London Underground on the 7th July 2005 for which he was awarded an MBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours’ List.

Between February 2004 and August 2008, he was the National Association of Chief Police Officers lead on licensing and alcohol matters. He is now the ACPO lead for CBRN, the Secretary of ACPO Emergency Procedures and the ACPO Olympic Business Area. In January 2011 AC Allison will take up a full time role as the Assistant Commissioner Olympics and Paralympics and the National Olympic Security Coordinator.