David Strang (police officer)

David James Reid Strang CBE QPM is a former senior police officer and public servant from Scotland. He has worked in a number of senior roles in the criminal justice sector, most notably as Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police and Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland.

Early life and education

Strang was born in Glasgow and studied at Glasgow Academy and Loretto School.[1][2] Strang then went on to study engineering science at the University of Durham, graduating with a BSc, before studying for an MSc in organisational behaviour at the University of London.[1]

Police career

Strang began his police career with the Metropolitan Police in 1980.[3] He was posted to a number of different divisions as well as time with Criminal Investigation Department, Territorial Support Group and a secondment to the Police Staff College, Bramshill. After rising to divisional commander of Wembley Division, he left the force in 1998[3] and was appointed assistant chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police.

In August 2001 Strang was appointed chief constable of Dumfries and Galloway Police. He led a number of initiatives, focusing on alcohol and drug action as well as youth justice[1] and was president of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland during the 2004/05 year.[4] On 29 March 2007 he was appointed chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police and served in that role until the force was amalgamated into Police Scotland.

Work with Prisons

Strang was a member of the Scottish Prisons Commission which published a report entitled Scotland's Choice in 2008.[5] In 2013 he was appointed as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland in succession to Hugh Munro, a post which he held until 2018. He was subsequently appointed as chair of the Independent Inquiry into Mental Health Services in Tayside.[6]

Drug Deaths Taskforce

Strang was appointed Chair of the Scottish Government's Drugs Death Taskforce in January 2022,[7] following the resignation of Professor Catriona Matheson in December 2021.[8]

Honours and awards




RibbonDescriptionNotes
Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Queen's Police Medal (QPM)
  • 2002
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
  • 2002
  • UK Version of this Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
  • 2012
  • UK Version of this Medal
Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

References
  1. Archived 23 December 2012 at archive.today Keele University, biography for David Strang, accessed 16/12/2011
  2. "HM Chief Inspector of Prisons - David Strang QPM BSc MSc". HM Inspector of Prisons. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  3. Archived 20 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine Lothian and Borders, biography for David Strang, accessed 16/12/2011
  4. Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine ACPOS website, Board of Directors, accessed 16/12/2011
  5. Scotland's Choice: Report of the Scottish Prisons Commission. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. 1 July 2008. ISBN 978-0-7559-5772-9. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  6. The Independent Inquiry into Mental Health Services in Tayside website, About Us, accessed 18/06/19
  7. "Former police chief to head Scotland's drugs death taskforce". BBC News. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  8. "Heads of Scotland's drug death taskforce resign". BBC News. 30 December 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  9. University of Stirling website, Former prisons chief inspector and leading environmentalist to receive honour at Stirling graduation, accessed 18/06/2019
  10. "Honorary Graduates 2015-2018". University of Stirling. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  11. "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B10.
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