Sir Ian Blar QPM Commissioner Mertopolitan Police Service

Sir Ian Blair, born 19 March 1953, was educated at Wrekin College Shropshire and Harvard High School Los Angeles. At Christ Church Oxford, he gained a Second Class Honours Degree in English Language & Literature.

Joining the Metropolitan Police in 1974 under the graduate entry scheme, he served in both uniform & CID in central London. In 1985, as a Detective Chief Inspector he took charge of the CID at Kentish Town. In 1988, as a Superintendent, he managed the MPS Crime Investigation Project redesigning the purpose and structure of CID offices in London.

In 1991, he was promoted to Chief Superintendent and appointed Staff Officer to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, based at the Home Office.

Returning to the Metropolitan Police in 1993, he took charge of Operation Gallery, then the largest police corruption enquiry in London.

In 1994, he became Assistant Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police. Responsible for territorial policing he took charge of policing the Newbury by-pass protests. In 1996, he was made responsible for personnel matters. In 1997, he became designated deputy to the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police. In January 1998 he became Chief Constable of Surrey.

In February 2000, he returned to the MPS as Deputy Commissioner, supporting the Commissioner in the overall management, he has also dealt with; change management, anti-corruption work, diversity and for information management. One of the foremost in-service advocates of police reform he was instrumental in the development of Police Community Support Officers. He is also one of the main spokesmen for the police service on criminal justice reform. In February 2005, he succeeded Sir John Stevens as the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

In 1999, he was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and he was awarded a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours, 2003, for his services to policing.