Michael Fuller took up his role as Chief Constable of Kent on 5 January 2004.

Michael joined the Metropolitan Police Service as a cadet in 1975. He has served in busy and demanding uniformed and CID positions throughout London. His service has included several postings at New Scotland Yard, including selection for Special Branch.

Career history

While a detective chief inspector (DCI) at Shepherds Bush and Hammersmith, he devised an innovative burglary control programme which successfully reduced burglary. This was the forerunner to the London-wide 'Operation Bumblebee.'

As DCI at Paddington he devised innovative covert techniques to successfully reduce street robbery under the Operation Eagle Eye initiative.

As a detective superintendent he worked as a specialist staff officer seconded to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) based at the Home Office. He gave specialist advice on crime and terrorism issues and carried out inspections of police force Special Branches on counter-terrorism. He also gave regular advice to the chief of HMIC, ministers and the Home Secretary.

In 1998 he helped set up the groundbreaking Racial and Violent Crime Task Force in response to criticism of the Metropolitan Police arising from the Stephen Lawrence inquiry.

He subsequently served as a uniformed superintendent in Lambeth and was the chief superintendent in charge of Battersea Police Station where he successfully reduced street crime.

In January 2000 as a commander, he took command of the West Area Serious Crime Group. As well as overseeing murder investigations he set up Operation Trident to tackle gun crime in black communities in London. He was highly successful in securing the confidence and support of minority communities and this directly led to the arrest and imprisonment of some of the most dangerous violent criminals involved in gun crime in London.

Man of the Year

In 2001 he won the G2 ‘Man of the Year Award’ in recognition of his personal achievements and contribution to policing in London.

In February 2002 he was promoted to deputy assistant commissioner. As well as heading the Metropolitan Police Drugs Directorate, he was also the director of intelligence for the service, as part of a newly formed Specialist Crime directorate.

Achievements as chief constable

Since he took up his appointment as chief constable in Kent in January 2004 he has:

• successfully implemented neighbourhood policing
• adopted a high public profile and regularly appeared on a local radio phone-in programme and on television
• reduced crime and disorder and perceptions of anti-social behaviour
• successfully tackled crime surrounding illegal immigration with other law enforcement and international partners
• introduced new and innovative technology to combat crime, including a network of Automated Number Plate Recognition cameras
• reduced road traffic collisions
• increased the representation of female officers and ethnic minority officers within Kent Police
• increased public confidence and satisfaction
• he has directly overseen the successful investigation of the high profile Tonbridge Securitas robbery investigation, the policing of the Climate Camp, the Channel Tunnel fire and the police response to regular security threats in Kent and Medway
• he is chair of the countywide Kent Resilience Forum and the South East Region Association of Chief Police Officers
• Kent Police has consistently achieved ‘excellent’ gradings from the inspectorate in relation to managing diversity and in making efficient use of resources
• he has successfully completed the Cabinet Office’s Top Management Programme and was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished police service in July 2004.

Qualifications

As well as holding a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Social Psychology, he has attained a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Brunel University and holds separate postgraduate diplomas in law, marketing and criminology. He was awarded Honorary Doctorates of Laws from both Sussex University and the University of East London.

He is a companion of the Institute of Management and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is also a non-practising barrister and was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in July 2007.