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Assistant Chief Constable Will White

Will joined Avon and Somerset Police as a response officer in 1995. He has worked in many varied roles during his time within the organisation and became Assistant Chief Constable in 2022.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Will White

Will leads on Performance and Strategic Improvement, with overall responsibility for the Chief of Staff and Corporate Communications Directorates.

Will says:

“My reason for becoming a police officer was down to a sense of fairness; I wanted a career where I could make a difference and give something back.

“Becoming part of the police family gave me the opportunity to support people when they need it most.

“I have a real passion for crime prevention. As a detective attending court, I would often have a victim or family thank me after the verdict and my overriding thought would be that I wished they hadn’t gone through that experience in the first place.

“That motivation – to support victims of crime and their families and stop them from becoming victims – has never left me. I’m intensely interested in how we can harness evidence-based policing and data analysis to support crime prevention.

“I have always enjoyed team work and been inspired throughout my career by those committed to delivering a great service to the public and making a difference. It’s these people who drive my determination today to be a good leader.”

Key responsibilities
  • Leads on Strategic Improvement, including organisational learning, change management and performance.
  • Lead for HMICFRS liaison and implementation of recommendations.
  • Lead for Race Matters and delivering recommendations from the national Police Race Acton Plan and local Identifying Disproportionality Report.
  • Lead on Investigative Standards, driving improvements in the capacity and capability to investigative crime.
  • Running Gold groups, leading on events or activities that could impact public confidence.
Biography
  • 1995 – Joined Avon and Somerset Police as a response officer at Trinity Road in East Bristol
  • 2000 – Detective on Bristol Central CID
  • 2002 –  Neighbourhood Sergeant in Burnham-on-Sea
  • 2003 – Patrol Sergeant at Broadbury Road in South Bristol
  • 2005 – Detective Sergeant leading on hate crime
  • 2006 – Detective Inspector on the Bristol Child Abuse Investigation team
  • 2008 – Detective Inspector in Bristol’s Serious and Major Crime (CID) team
  • 2010 – Detective Chief Inspector in Bristol’s CID team
  • 2012 – Detective Chief Inspector in the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) in charge of intelligence and financial crime
  • 2014 – Superintendent – Bristol local policing
  • 2016 – Detective Superintendent in charge of offences against children
  • 2018 – Chief Superintendent for Neighbourhoods and Partnerships
  • 2022 – Assistant Chief Constable
Career highlights and achievements
  • Leading on a number of major crime investigations including the investigation into the 2011 riots in Bristol.
  • Overseeing the implementation of the new capabilities programme at the Regional Organised Crime Unit involving the introduction of new regional units to deal with fraud, prisoner intelligence and cyber-crime.
  • Overseeing the implementation of Avon and Somerset Police’s Drugs Education Programme which helps to divert people from becoming problematic drug users and prevents them being criminalised.
  • Leading the implementation of Operation Topaz, Avon and Somerset Police’s response to child sexual exploitation (CSE).
  • Leading the operational implementation of Avon and Somerset Police’s ground breaking data analytics work and a strategy on early intervention and hidden harm which support vulnerable people and prevents their exploitation.
  • Implementing Avon and Somerset Police’s new neighbourhood policing model based on the six pillars of policing: responding to calls, investigation of crime, engagement, problem solving, safeguarding the vulnerable and offender management.
Qualifications, rewards and recognition
  • BSc in Economics – University of York
  • Masters in Applied Criminology and Executive Police Management – University of Cambridge
  • Strategic Firearms Commander Accreditation
  • Strategic Gold (Gold = with overall strategic command of operations)Commander Accreditation
Personal life
  • Will is married and has two daughters.
  • He enjoys rowing and spending time in the mountains with friends walking, climbing or ski touring.
  • Will supports Arsenal Football Club and Bristol Flyers Basketball Club.
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