Description
TLC Zoom
Wednesday 8th October 2025 @18:00BST
The power of your voice
Influencing and making evidence based arguments
Sir Andy Cooke QPM DL
It is a great pleasure to have Sir Andy with us tonight. As Chief Inspector of HMICFRS he holds the most senior role but what does HMICFRS do? To quote from the website
For over 160 years, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary independently inspected and reported on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces – in the public interest.
We inspect police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We also inspect law enforcement arrangements in British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, on invitation from the relevant government, as well as non-territorial services, specialist agencies and international police forces.
In summer 2017, HMIC took on responsibility for the inspection of England’s fire and rescue services, inspecting and reporting on their efficiency and effectiveness. To reflect this new role, our name changed to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). We may also be invited to provide assistance to other public authorities, overseas territories and crown dependencies.
We ask the questions that we believe the public wish to have answered, and publish our findings, conclusions and recommendations. We use our expertise to interpret the evidence and make recommendations for improvement.
We provide authoritative information to allow the public to compare the performance of their police force and fire and rescue service against others. We also routinely monitor the performance of police forces in England and Wales.
Sir Andy has a team of four Inspectors and an Assistant Inspector working with him and you may well remember a couple of remarkable presentations given by Matt Parr CB during his time as one of the Inspectors in 2022 and 2023.
Having had the pleasure of meeting Sir Andy on a number of occasions at events run jointly with Liverpool Hope University, I was particularly delighted when he accepted my invitation to speak to us and his topic is truly illuminating.
Biography
Andy Cooke joined Merseyside Police in 1985 having obtained an Honours Degree in Politics from Nottingham University. He served as a detective at every rank.
Throughout his career, Andy has had numerous roles including being in charge of the Robbery Squad and Target Operations at the Major Crime Unit. He became the first Commander of the nationally recognised ‘Matrix’ team, responsible for tackling gun and gang enabled crime.
During his time as Area Commander for South Liverpool, Andy was instrumental in significantly reducing crime, antisocial behaviour and disorder and South Liverpool became one of the highest performing Basic Command Units in the country.
In 2008, Andy was appointed Assistant Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary where he held the roles of ACC Specialist Operations and ACC Territorial Operations. He returned to Merseyside in 2012, was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable in 2013 and in 2016 he was appointed Chief Constable. During this time, Andy led the biggest reorganisation in Merseyside Police’s 40 year history. While he was Chief, the force was graded as the highest performing metropolitan force by HMICFRS.
Nationally, Andy held some of the highest risk portfolios in policing. In addition to leading the creation of the United Kingdom Protected Persons Service, he was the national policing lead for serious organised crime and national lead for crime.
Andy has also been commended on ten occasions and in 2014 was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal. He is a Deputy Lieutenant of the Merseyside Lieutenancy and an Adjunct Professor within the School of Justice Studies at Liverpool John Moores University.
Andy was appointed as HM Inspector of Constabulary and HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services in April 2021.
On 1 April 2022 Andy was appointed as HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and HM Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services. In December 2024 he was awarded a knighthood for services to policing and to public service in the King’s New Years Honours List.
