Jon Boutcher

Chief Constable
Jon Boutcher
QPM
Boutcher in 2024
Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 October 2023
DeputyMark Hamilton
Bobby Singleton[1]
Preceded bySimon Byrne
Personal details
BornJonathan Michael Boutcher
(1965-10-10) 10 October 1965
EducationUniversity of Cambridge
ProfessionPolice officer

Jonathan Michael Boutcher QPM (born 10 October 1965) is a senior British police officer. He was appointed as Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on 7 November 2023.[2][3]

Early life and education

Boutcher was born on 10 October 1965 in Derby, Derbyshire, England. He was educated at Spondon School in Derby.[4] He later studied applied criminology and police management at Wolfson College, Cambridge, graduating with a Master of Studies (MSt) degree in 2015.[4][5] His thesis was titled "Understanding Cybercrime and the Cybercriminal".[6]

Career

Boutcher was a Metropolitan Police Cadet in 1983, before becoming a police constable in the Metropolitan Police Service in 1984. He became a detective, reaching the rank of detective chief superintendent.[4] In 2003, he joined the Anti-Terrorist Branch.[7] He was a senior commander in the Metropolitan Police operation that saw Jean Charles de Menezes shot dead in London; he had been misidentified as a suspect in the 21 July 2005 London attempted bombings.[8]

In 2011, he reached chief officer rank, serving as assistant chief constable of Hertfordshire Constabulary and leader of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Joint Protective Services Command.[4] In 2014, he moved to Bedfordshire Police as deputy chief constable.[4] He then served as chief constable of the force from 2015 until April 2019.[9]

From 2019 to 2023, he led Operation Kenova, a series of historical investigations into murders which occurred during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.[10][11] Kenova published its interim report outlining its findings on 8 March 2024.[12] He was succeeded as head of the operation by Iain Livingstone in 2023.[13]

He served as interim chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) from 12 October 2023 whilst the recruitment process was ongoing to appoint someone permanently.[14][15][16][17][18] On 7 November 2023, it was announced that the appointment had been made permanent by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.[19] He receives a salary of £220,000.[7]

Boutcher was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 2015 Birthday Honours.[20]

References

  1. ^ "PSNI Deputy Chief Constable appointed". Northern Ireland Policing Board. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. ^ "Jon Boutcher appointed chief constable of Police Service of Northern Ireland". Sky News. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Policing Board confirms Chief Constable appointment". Northern Ireland Policing Board. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Boutcher, Jonathan Michael, born 10 Oct. 1965, QPM 2014, Chief Constable, Police Service of Northern Ireland, since 2023". Who's Who 2025. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  5. ^ "The Wolfson Review 2014–2015" (PDF). Wolfson College. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  6. ^ "About Jon Boutcher". www.kenova.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  7. ^ a b "PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher wants for fresh policing money". BBC News. 8 November 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Menezes officers 'changed mind'". BBC News. 4 October 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  9. ^ "Police Professional | Jon Boutcher to step down as chief constable". Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Home |". www.kenova.co.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  11. ^ "About Jon Boutcher |". www.kenova.co.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  12. ^ [1] Archived 2024-03-08 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Ex-Police Scotland chief to lead Kenova probe as Jon Boutcher takes up top PSNI job". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 12 October 2023. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  14. ^ "PSNI: Jon Boutcher picked as interim chief constable". BBC News. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  15. ^ Corscadden, Jane (4 October 2023). "Jon Boutcher: The PSNI's preferred Chief Constable candidate". BelfastLive. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Jon Boutcher: Impressive track record of a man well versed in NI policing issues". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 5 October 2023. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Jon Boutcher can restore public's confidence in PSNI, says ex-chief constable". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 5 October 2023. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Jon Boutcher". psni.police.uk. Police Service of Northern Ireland. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  19. ^ "PSNI: Jon Boutcher appointed as new chief constable". BBC News. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  20. ^ United Kingdom: "No. 61256". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 2015. p. B34.
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