Mike Bowron QPM, the 13th City of London Police Commissioner, retired last month. Shortly before Mike took his new role as The Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police, Una Riley caught up with him. From the February 2011 print issue of Professional Security magazine.
I have been lucky enough to have interviewed the last couple of City of London Commissioners, and worked with them on several professional initiatives within the private security sector. Talking of luck, I think that it must be on Mikeโs side; what with being the thirteenth Commissioner and also taking on the challenges that Jersey has to offer. I am sure that the powers that be in Jersey realise how lucky they are to have secured Mike as the new chief. However, there is no doubt that his new post will be quite demanding in some areas. Jersey Police have taken a bit of a pounding in recent times. Former Chief Officer Graham Power was suspended in November 2008 and relieved of his duties by the island’s prime minister after the high-profile investigation into the Haut de la Garenne care home was dismissed as a shambles by his own officers. Mike Bowron assumed his new post on January 4. Since being appointed City of London Commissioner in 2006, Mr Bowron has overseen a 40 per cent fall in crime and led a restructure of the force. He was Head of Operations for the Cityโs response to the Aldgate underground station following the 7-7 bombings and he was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in 2007. Mr Bowron launched the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and he is the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead on economic crime and business continuity. His force introduced Project Griffin, which is designed to engage the private sector in the defence against terrorism. I caught up Mike for the final time in his City of London office in Wood Street. The phones were ringing and the place was buzzing. We sat down and over a coffee Mike firstly insisted that he was not retiring. He said: โI have been to so many retirement events in my time and I always feel like it is a step towards the coffin … just my personal take. So I do not want to acknowledge that I am a step nearer to death.โ I was taken aback by the comment coming from a chap that looks the picture of health and on route to an exciting new challenge. Mike went on: โI am simply moving jobs. I have decided to slip away quietly.โ We laughed when I informed him that is exactly the same attitude that my husband had when leaving his job after 30 years. He did not retire; just started a new career. Before I enquired about Jersey Mike ran through his busy diary up until the day he walks out of Wood Street for the last time as Commissioner and it was pretty packed. No wonder he is not having a leaving โdoโ he would not be able to fit it in any way! I asked when he actually took his new post. He replied. โI start on January 4 and will hit the ground running. I am in the process of selling my house. I have just bought a lovely apartment in Jersey on the coast and right on the beach. I am very excited about the new role and the location.โ From Mikeโs office window you can see St Paulโs Cathedral and the tops of the City buildings and feel the hustle and bustle of the City of London …the iconic view is a picture postcard of the City. The contrast of looking out onto the beach seems a million miles away. Mike went on: โI am going to have to get used to the change … but it will still have its challenges. I will still keep links here; for instance I will carry on as chairman of FIN-NET which is a financial crime intelligence unit hosted by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). I will still be continuing with other initiatives such as business continuity for ACPO, so I will be coming over here at the very least once a month.โ We spoke about the New Year being a year of change and I mentioned that I had started a new business in LA and reminded him that it was he who introduced me to Sharron Papa (LAPD) who I interviewed last year. We mused about what the New Year would bring. Mike did not want to discuss the past as far as the former chief was concerned … he just wanted to look to the future. He said: โThe first job I want to do is appoint a permanent deputy and to build the confidence of the force. I also want to work with the government to create the first ever police authority, which is really quite exciting. Another aim is to look at the whole financial aspect and the way things are done which is something I have been doing here. In fact they wanted someone who had some connectivity with economic crime, which I clearly have. So that keeps links forged between the States of Jersey and London. As I mentioned I will also keep the chairmanship of FIN-NET until 2012 when they will then appoint a paid Chairman once the destiny of the FSA has been sorted out.โ In a speech at Reuters in December 2010, Financial Services Authority (FSA) CEO Hector Sants, outlined the progress made on the design of the supervisory approach and internal preparation for the transition, in 2012, to the new regulatory structure and how the regulator is mitigating the risks a change programme of this scale undoubtedly creates. It sounds very much like the SIA scenario. I asked Mike what his objectives were for the new force. He replied: โCertainly, one of my goals will be to raise the confidence of the officers to enable us to have the best little island force in the world. They are a good team, I have met them and it is just a case of getting some stability and making sure that all capabilities are up to speed and needs are met. Also, to look at collaboration, between my colleague Pat Rice in Guernsey and other forces in the UK. I would like to have a confident world performing force … just like the one we have here.โ Well, I have no doubt I will be meeting up with Mikeโs successor (Commissioner Adrian Leppard). But it will be exciting to catch up with Mike in a year from now to see how he is doing.
