A FORMER Acocks Green beat police officer has landed the role of Assistant Chief Constable at West Midlands Police.
Chris Johnson has climbed the ranks at WMP after starting out as a PC in Acocks Green in 1991 then onto chief superintendent in Birmingham and Dudley.
Although the 50-year-old may have seen more than most during 27 years of policing in the West Midlands, one thing he didn’t expect to see was the discovery of a huge WWII bomb in Aston last year.
Chris was at the forefront of working with other partners to bring a safe conclusion to a demanding situation.
He said: “We routinely deal with the discovery of WWII ordnance, and initially I thought this would be a pretty straightforward job.
“But then there was the issue of the M6 motorway, the cross-city railway line and the flight path into Birmingham Airport to consider.
“The bomb – the largest unexploded munition found since the war – was unstable because of the corrosion to the shell.
“Fortunately I was lucky enough to have some fantastic support from partners and staff from within our organisation.
“They did a great job on the ground, while there was brilliant support back in our Events Control Suite and from a breadth of partners to bring about a safe conclusion.
“If it wasn’t for them, and very many other people who I’ve worked alongside over the years – including my wife Sharon who is also an officer with WMP – I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today.
“They provided me with so many opportunities from which to learn.”
The new ACC is determined to keep ‘making a difference’ in his new role; with his deep knowledge of the area from being a Brummie and working the West Midlands patch.
He added: “I became an officer for the same reason as almost everyone else in the force – for the excitement, to bring offenders to justice and protect people, but above all, to make a difference.
“I’m proud of this organisation and our people. The force’s ambition for 2020, how it puts the needs of our communities at its core and our values really resonate with me and that’s why I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson added: “Chris Johnson will be an excellent assistant chief constable. He is greatly experienced, having been a local commander in Birmingham and Dudley previously and having worked as a West Midlands Police officer for 27 years.
“He went through a robust process to be selected. In addition to going through a panel chaired by the Chief Constable, he was also grilled by some of my Youth Commissioners and representatives from partner organisations.
“I look forward to working closely with him to continue to make the West Midlands a safe place to live in and where businesses want to invest.”
