Peter Ryan (police officer)

For other people named Peter Ryan, see Peter Ryan (disambiguation).
Peter Ryan
QPM BA MSc
19th Commissioner of New South Wales Police
In office
30 August 1996 – 17 April 2002
Preceded by Tony Lauer
Succeeded by Ken Moroney
Personal details
Born (1944-05-18) 18 May 1944
Lancaster, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Spouse(s) Barbara (1965–1974; divorced)
Adrienne Butterworth (1985–2011; divorced. Note separated c.2005-2011)
Alma mater Macquarie University

Peter James Ryan, QPM (born 18 May 1944)[1] is a former British police officer, who was the Commissioner of New South Wales Police in Australia from 1996 to 2002. His appointment was controversial and he resigned two years early.

Early life and education

Ryan was born in 1944 in Lancaster, Lancashire to Laurence and Maureen Ryan.[2]

Police career in England

Ryan joined Lancashire Constabulary on 16 January 1961 as a police cadet. He completed the training course at Bruche Police National Training Centre in 1963, and on 19 May was given his first posting as a probationer in Little Hulton on the outskirts of Manchester. In 1968, Ryan was one of the first intake of police officers into the new University of Lancaster, and upon graduation with a Bachelor of Arts he was promoted to Sergeant, and in 1973 was promoted to Inspector stationed at the Lancashire's headquarters in Preston.[2]

Ryan joined the Metropolitan Police Service in London, and was Chief Superintendent at Chelsea Police Station during the Harrods bombing in December 1983.[3]

He was Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary and was the first National Director of Police Training at the Police Staff College, Bramshill prior to his appointment to the New South Wales Police in Australia.

Commissioner of New South Wales Police

Peter Ryan was recruited to the Commissioner's position from an international pool of applicants[4] following the controversial Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service (Wood Royal Commission) into police corruption that ran from 1995 to 1997. He was appointed by the New South Wales Labor Premier Bob Carr. Ryans appointment proved controversial.[4]

In February 1999, he was reappointed for a further 5 years.[5] Some aspects of the new contract were kept secret but the controversy over it caused it to be released in its entirety, and a parliamentary enquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding its signing. The contract made Ryan the highest paid public servant in Australia.[5]

Prior to coming to Australia, Ryan had risen rapidly to very senior roles in British police ranks. His British career culminated as the Head of National Police Training.[6]

He resigned from the NSW Police Service in 2002, two years early, and received a payout of A$455,000, 12 months salary.[7] Ryan has since worked on a number of security consulting projects. He is a security expert for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and was the Principal Security Advisor to the ATHOC (Athens Olympic Games Organising Committee).[8]

Ryan was covered widely by the Australian media and is the subject of the 2003 biography, Peter Ryan: The Inside Story, by Sydney author Sue Williams.[2]

Honours

Ryan has been appointed an Officer of the Order of St John (OStJ), and awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM), NSW Police Ministers Olympic Commendation, NSW Police Commissioners Olympic Citation and the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for service in the UK Police Forces). He has a master's degree in science and an honorary doctorate in law from Macquarie University, Sydney.

Personal life

Ryan married his second wife Adrienne Ryan (née Butterworth), who moved to Sydney with him upon his appointment as Police Commissioner. They divorced in 2011[9] after a separation of about six years.[10] While she continued to reside in Australia with their two adult daughters, Peter Ryan moved back to the UK. One daughter undertook legal studies in the UK and the other studied in Australia for a communications degree.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Ryan, Peter (1944-), Trove (National Library of Australia).
  2. 1 2 3 Williams, Sue (2002). Peter Ryan: The Inside Story. Viking Press. ISBN 0-670-04077-0.
  3. ↑ Harrods Bomb Aftermath, ITN Source, 18 December 1983. Retrieved 16 June 2015
  4. 1 2 Wooldridge, Ian (9 January 1999). "How a Bloody Pom Police Chief Struck Gold In His Bid To Clean Up Sydney". Mail Online. Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  5. 1 2 http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/s614583.htm
  6. ↑ Baldwin, Paul (29 June 1999). "Australian police chief shortlisted for Met job". UK News. The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  7. ↑ John Lyons (14 April 2002). "Losing Peter Ryan". Sgp1.paddington.ninemsn.com.au. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "The World Today - Athens Olympics terror fears". World Today. Abc.net.au. 30 March 2004. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "Top cop's daughter Georgie Ryan now the woman behind the bar". The Daily Telegraph (Australia). 26 September 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Former NSW Police Commissioner Peter Ryan back in Sydney". The Daily Telegraph. 11 December 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
Police appointments
Preceded by
Tony Lauer		 Commissioner of New South Wales Police
1996–2002 		Succeeded by
Ken Moroney
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