Appointment of Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner

by Phil Trendall
Fraser Sampson

History in the making….

For the first time an ex-BTP officer has been appointed as the Surveillance Camera Commissioner AND as the Biometrics Commissioner. Both posts were created under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and are high profile public appointments. Dr Fraser Sampson will take up his work later in March 2021. The Home Secretary said: “It is vital the government works to empower police to use technology to keep the public safe while maintaining their trust and Fraser Sampson’s extensive experience in law and policing makes him the right person to take up this role.”

Fraser joined the BTP in the early 1980s and served in the North East Area. He was later seconded to the Home Office Central Planning Unit at Harrogate (now the College of Policing) where he worked as a legal researcher specialising in the application of the criminal law in operational circumstances. He returned to the force and later, in 1992, became an Inspector at the Tadworth Force Training Centre. His work included introducing many innovations in training as well as leading the training team in their own development. His time at Tadworth coincided with a particularly active PIRA campaign so he led operational deployments in the south east when required. He returned to Leeds as an Inspector and was later seconded back to central service. He left the force as a superintendent in 1996. After BTP he qualified as a solicitor working in the area of police law. He wrote several of the Blackstones Police Promotional Manuals and is a prolific author. He became Director of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority and went on to carry out similar roles with West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Police. During his time at Tadworth he offered support to officers who were working to preserve and collect material relating to the history of the force. We wish him well in his new job.

Official Announcement: Gov.uk

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