Prof Jon Murphy

Professor Sir Jon Murphy QPM DL LLB (Hons)

Sir Jon Murphy joined Merseyside Police as a Cadet in January 1975. After early uniform roles in Toxteth and other areas of inner city Liverpool he spent three years in the force Operational Support Group, during which time he was on the front line of the 1981 Toxteth riots. Shortly after the riots he entered the CID and there followed an almost 20 year unbroken career as a detective, rising to the rank of Detective Superintendent (Senior Investigating Officer). He then returned to uniform duties as Force Operations Manager prior to attending the Strategic Command Course.

He left Merseyside to join the National Crime Squad as Assistant Chief Constable, Head of Operations in 2001. In this role he was responsible for national and international serious organised crime operations and led, for the UK, in the establishment of the first European Joint Investigation Team (JIT). He returned to Merseyside Police in 2004 as Deputy Chief Constable.

In September 2007 he was asked by the then Home Secretary to lead the Ministerial Task Force - 'Tackling Gangs Action Programme' (TGAP). Following this, in April 2008, he became the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) National Serious & Organised Crime Coordinator.

In February 2010 he was appointed Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.

Sir Jon was a career detective serving as an investigator in every rank. As a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), he led homicide investigations, internal corruption enquiries and covert operations. He has extensive experience of commanding firearms operations and critical incidents.

He read Law at the University of Liverpool and has a postgraduate Criminology Diploma from Cambridge University. In 1995 he was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and worked in the USA with the FBI and other policing agencies researching covert policing methods.

He has previously led the ACPO portfolios of Surveillance, Telephone Intercept, Anti-Corruption and Serious Organised Crime. From 2011 to 2016 he was the Chair of the Crime Business Area of National Police Chiefs Council.

Sir Jon has been commended for outstanding police work on 14 occasions and is a recipient of the Award of Merit. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the 2007 Birthday Honours. In 2012 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Police Federation National Detective Forum and in 2013 he was voted Mersey Region Public Sector Leader of the Year. In 2014 he received a Knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Liverpool John Moores University in November 2014, an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Liverpool in 2016, he is an Advanced Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and a Visiting Fellow of Hope University.

Sir Jon retired from the Police service in July 2016 and immediately took up the position of Professor of Advanced Policing Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. He remains active as an advisor to the UK government on policing matters.

In 2017 he was made a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Merseyside.

Degrees

1990, University of Liverpool, UK, LLB (Hons)

Postgraduate training

Diploma in Applied Criminology, United Kingdom, Cambridge University, 2001 - 2001