Martin James Hewitt CBE QPM (born 23 March 1966) is a senior British law enforcement officer who has been serving as the Border Security Commander since September 2024. He is a former soldier and police officer who previously served as chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council from May 2019 to March 2023.
Martin Hewitt | |
|---|---|
 Hewitt in 2024 | |
| Border Security Commander | |
| Assumed office 15 September 2024 | |
| Appointed by | Yvette Cooper |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council | |
| In office March 2019 – March 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Sara Thornton |
| Succeeded by | Gavin Stephens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 March 1966 |
| Education | Salesian College, Battersea |
| Alma mater | University of Leicester |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1987–1993 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Royal Artillery |
Early life and education
editHewitt was born on 23 March 1966 in London, England. He was educated at the Salesian College, Battersea, an all-boys Catholic grammar school in London.[1] He would later attend the University of Leicester, completing a postgraduate diploma in criminal justice studies in 2000.[2]
Hewitt's first career was in the military, serving in the British Army for seven years.[3] Having attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant on 11 April 1987.[4] He was promoted to lieutenant on 11 April 1989.[5] He was transferred to the reserve of officers on 31 January 1993, thereby ending his active service.[6]
Police career
edit
After leaving the army, Hewitt joined Kent Police in 1993, and served in uniform and as a detective.[7] In 2005, he transferred to the Metropolitan Police as a detective chief superintendent.[7] In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) for his service as a deputy assistant commissioner in the Met.[8][9]
He was the Metropolitan Police's Assistant Commissioner (Professionalism) until April 2016, when he became Assistant Commissioner (Territorial Policing).[10] That role was renamed Assistant Commissioner Frontline Policing in 2018,[11] and he held it until the end of that year.
He had been deputy chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) since 2015. He took up his role as chair of the NPCC in April 2019, succeeding Sara Thornton,[12] and with Mark Simmons succeeding him as Assistant Commissioner Frontline Policing.[13] He has also led national-level police responses to kidnap and adult sexual offences. His first interview, in January 2020, as head of the NPCC lays out his approach.[14] During the COVID-19 pandemic, he spoke as part of the government's team for daily briefings.[15]
Hewitt was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to policing.[16]
Border Security Commander
editOn 15 September 2024, Hewitt was appointed as the UK's first Border Security Commander.[17]
Honours
edit| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
_Ribbon.svg){kind=small} |
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) |
2024 |
 |
Queen's Police Medal (QPM) |
2014 |
 |
General Service Medal |
With "Northern Ireland" clasp |
 |
UNFICYP |
90 Days service with peacekeeping mission in Cyprus |
 |
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal |
2002; UK Version |
 |
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal |
2012; UK Version |
 |
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal |
2022; UK Version |
 |
Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal |
References
edit- ^ "Hewitt, Martin James". Who's Who 2019. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U282717. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ "Hewitt, Martin James, (born 23 March 1966), Chair, National Police Chiefs' Council, since 2019". Who's Who 2022. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ "Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, Chair of the NPCC". Archived from the original on 29 September 2020.
- ^ "No. 50965". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 1987. pp. 7682–7683.
- ^ "No. 51696". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 April 1989. p. 4291.
- ^ "No. 53211". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 February 1993. p. 2304.
- ^ a b "Hewitt, Martin James, (born 23 March 1966), Chair, National Police Chiefs' Council, 2019–23". Who's Who 2024. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ "Police Federation - Newsroom - Twenty-eight police officers and staff recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours".
- ^ "No. 60895". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2014. p. b36.
- ^ "Senior Management". Metropolitan Police.
- ^ "Executive Structure" (PDF). Metropolitan Police. June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2018.
- ^ "Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt appointed to lead National Police Chiefs' Council from April 2019". 12 November 2018.
- ^ "Executive Structure". Metropolitan Police. January 2019. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019.
- ^ Dearden, Lizzie (4 January 2020). "The police chief who believes arrests aren't the key to fighting rising crime". The Independent.
- ^ Corbishley, Sam (11 April 2020). "UK crime down 21% due to coronavirus lockdown". Metro. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N10.
- ^ "New Border Security Commander appointed as Prime Minister's European reset continues in Italy". GOV.UK. Retrieved 16 September 2024.