Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s new Chief Constable, Alexis Boon, has taken up his position this week with a pledge to put communities at the centre of local policing.
Boon joins from the Metropolitan Police, where he led commands in local policing, specialist crime and counter terrorism. He brings extensive experience from London and a passion for delivering for communities as he begins his new role.
Chief Constable Boon has said:
“I began my career in a county force and I am delighted to be returning to my roots as chief constable here in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“I joined policing because I firmly believe in public service.
“I know the exceptional officers, staff and volunteers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight share my commitment to be there for our communities, especially when they need us most.
“I want us to focus on listening to and working with our communities to fight the crime that really matters to them and keeping people safe. Engaging with purpose will help us prevent crime and bring more criminals to justice.”
During the Police and Crime Panel meeting that confirmed his appointment, Boon spoke about the need to strengthen relationships with partners to deliver effective problem-solving. He also highlighted reducing violence against women and girls as a priority, alongside building on the force’s recent progress.
The new chief constable takes the helm as Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary continues to recover from significant organisational changes in recent years. He has pledged to build on strong performance noted in the latest HMICFRS PEEL inspection while delivering the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.
Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones welcomed his appointment, stating that recruitment and increasing officer numbers remain top priorities.
Donna has said:
“I’m delighted Alexis has begun his new role as chief constable.
“The constabulary has gone from strength to strength in recent years. That progression has been highlighted in the recent PEEL report and I’ve tasked Alexis with continuing those improvements.
“We are a large force but we are still under capacity for the amount of officers we have for our communities. Recruitment is a major priority and I’ve urged Alexis to ensure the officers I have already funded are on our streets as quickly as possible.
“The new chief constable is joining us at one of our busiest times of the year. His wealth of experience running police operations for the Metropolitan Police will be a huge advantage to us.
“Together we want to make Hampshire and the Isle of Wight the safest places to live, work and visit.”
More about Alexis Boon
Alexis Boon began his policing career with Surrey Police in 1998 before transferring to the Metropolitan Police, where he rose through the ranks in investigative, counter terrorism and specialist crime roles. He led the UK’s strategic response to terrorism linked to the Syrian conflict, oversaw counter terrorism operations nationally and internationally, and managed the response to several major terrorist incidents between 2017 and 2020.
Awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in 2021, Boon later commanded specialist crime teams and local policing in south London, leading thousands of officers across critical incidents and performance improvements.
Most recently, as Deputy Assistant Commissioner, he was responsible for over 20,000 officers across London’s 12 policing units.
Alexis is also an accredited Multi-Agency Gold Commander.
Sounds like the perfect person for the job.
Good luck, the island needs a person with
mainland experience.