Tony Speed

Anthony James Speed CBE QPM DL is a British retired police officer with the London Metropolitan Police. He specialised in public order policing and headed the policing of many demonstrations and other public order events during his career.[1]

As a sergeant, Speed served as protection officer to Charles, Prince of Wales, during his term at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, in 1969.[2][3] In 1983, as a chief superintendent, he was put in command of Brixton,[4] a post he still held in 1985.[5] A year later he was a commander in charge of specialist training.[6][7] By 1991, he had been promoted to deputy assistant commissioner and was in charge of policing central London.[8][9][10]

On 19 August 1994, he was promoted to assistant commissioner[11] and put in command of Area No. 1 (Central Area)[12][13] following the Metropolitan Police reorganisation which saw expansion from four to six assistant commissioners, all but one placed in charge of one of the five operational areas. He held this post until he retired in 1999, following which the force reverted to having four assistant commissioners each in charge of a portfolio instead of an operational area. During this time he chaired the Association of Chief Police Officers sub-committee on public order.[14]

Following his retirement, Speed was asked to head an investigation into the Carnival Against Capital riots in the City of London on 18 June 1999 and the response of the City of London Police. His report a month later was highly critical of the force.[15][16] In 2000, he conducted a review of the Royal Parks Constabulary which led to a number of charges being implemented and its eventual merger with the Metropolitan Police in 2004.[17][18]

Speed was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 1991 Birthday Honours[19] and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1999 New Year Honours.[20] He was appointed a deputy lieutenant for Greater London in July 1999.[21]

Speed was a freemason for twenty years from the age of 21, but resigned after public opinion began to turn against police officers being members.[22]

Footnotes
  1. "The role of the police at major outdoor concert events in the UK", by Mick Upton, 12 March 2011
  2. "Welsh give Prince warm welcome", The Times, 21 April 1969
  3. Photograph of Speed with Prince Charles and a group of police officers at RAE Aberporth
  4. "Drink clubs blamed for Brixton trouble", The Times, 6 June 1983
  5. "Crime rise in Brixton", The Times, 28 February 1985
  6. "Keeping the peace in London's riot city", The Times, 14 February 1986
  7. "Minister 'guilty of complacency' over road deaths", The Times, 18 September 1987
  8. "Praise for revellers in spite of arrests", The Times, 2 January 1991
  9. "Police spend £700,000 to foil repeat of poll tax riot", The Times, 23 March 1991
  10. "Trafalgar Sq revellers 'came close to disaster'", The Times, 18 January 1993
  11. "No. 53820". The London Gazette. 14 October 1994. p. 14417.
  12. "Yard says London riot was planned", The Times, 11 October 1994
  13. "The Park Lane Riot: How Park Lane was turned into a battlefield", Independent, 11 October 1994
  14. "Fighting the enemy within", Intelligence Online, 26 November 1998
  15. "Senior police 'mishandled' London riot", The Times, 29 July 1999
  16. "Police admit riot failings", BBC News, 28 July 1999
  17. "Royal Parks Constabulary: Review", British Police History
  18. "Royal Parks Constabulary proposals", Metropolitan Police Authority, 21 March 2002
  19. "No. 52563". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 1991. p. 25.
  20. "No. 55354". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1998. p. 9.
  21. The London Gazette, 9 July 1999
  22. The Guardian, 29 January 1997
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