Executive

Chief Constable

After graduating from Northumbria University Jon Stoddart joined his local force in 1982 and was singled out for accelerated promotion. During more than sixteen years with Northumbria, he worked both in uniform and CID and was a Detective Sergeant in Newcastle, a Detective Chief Inspector in Sunderland and, as head of the force's Major Crime Team following his promotion to Detective Superintendent, was in charge of eight murder investigations on Tyneside and Wearside.

He also led the inquiry into the brick attack which left a Sunderland police officer critically injured. As a result six men were jailed for a total of 44 years.

During his time in Northumbria, Mr Stoddart worked as staff officer to the then Chief Constable, Sir John Stevens. He also spent three years as an area Commander in Tynemouth.

As Assistant Chief Constable in Lincolnshire he had responsibility for Crime, Operations, Territorial Policing of the County and Criminal Justice. He is a member of the Association of Chief Police Officers' Crime Committee and chairs both the National Homicide Group and the Holmes II Executive User Group.

Mr Stoddart took up the post of Deputy Chief Constable at Durham Constabulary on 17th February 2003 and became Chief Constable on 12th December 2005

Deputy Chief Constable

Gary Barnett was born in York and attended St. Peter's School in the City until 1975. He then read psychology at Lancaster University, graduating in 1978.

He joined North Yorkshire Police in November 1978 and served as a constable at Harrogate before passing his Sergeant's examination and being selected for the Special Course and accelerated promotion. Gary served at Ripon and then in a variety of roles as an Inspector at Scarborough, including the operation to run the Young Conservatives Conference in 1991, immediately after the IRA had launched a mortar attack on Whitehall.

He then served as the Chief Constable's staff officer for 5 months before being promoted to run Community Affairs for the force. He then undertook the Operational role at Harrogate for two years before, returning to HQ to develop project and programme management in North Yorkshire and serve for 6 months as the Head of Corporate Development.

In 1995, he acted as Family Liaison Co-Ordinator at the Dunkeswick Air Crash and was invited to join the national Major Disaster Advisory Team (MDAT) as a practitioner in this specialism.

He moved back to his home city of York in 1997 and was promoted to Superintendent (Operations), before becoming Area Commander for York and Selby in 1999. Gary was honoured to be the Police Commander in his home City during the Millennium celebrations. However, the task became a testing one during the serious floods of November 2000, which threatened the City for two weeks and came within 2 inches of overtopping the City's 18 feet tall flood defences.

Three months later, in February 2001, the train crash at Great Heck, near Selby led to another difficult period as Silver Commander at a major incident. Gary attended the Strategic Command Course in 2002 and returned to North Yorkshire to implement a policing review in his Area command, before planning a major re-organisation during his last 6 months with the force.

He joined Durham Constabulary on 1st October 2003 as Assistant Chief Constable and became Deputy Chief Constable on 12th December 2005 with responsibility for Corporate Development, Professional Standards and Legal Services, Administration of Justice and Information Departments.

Assistant Chief Constable

Michael Barton was born in Lancashire and attended Lancaster Royal Grammar School. He studied law at Newcastle University and graduated in 1978 with an LL.B.

After a couple of years working on the family farm Michael joined the Lancashire Constabulary in 1980.

He has served in most ranks in both uniform and detective roles. He has also worked in Training, Professional Standards, HQ Operations and Research and Planning.

In 2002 he was promoted as Detective Chief Superintendent in Lancashire and was responsible for pulling together Lancashire's response in the immediate aftermath of the cockle pickers' disaster in 2004. He was head of Corporate Development and, for three years, Divisional Commander at Preston.

Michael played a leadership role in embedding problem oriented partnerships as the policing philosophy in Lancashire. He was lead business user in the development of the renowned Sleuth Software and introduced Restorative Justice to Lancashire in 2006.

He joined Durham Constabulary on 2 June 2008 as Assistant Chief Constable.

Assistant Chief Officer

John Beckerleg was born in Somerset and educated at the Blue School in Wells. He read mathematics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Returning to the West Country he trained as a public sector accountant (CIPFA) with Wiltshire County Council and then was employed by Cambridgeshire County Council supporting a range of local government services including Police and Fire. After four years as assistant county treasurer with Hertfordshire County Council - supporting schools and social services - he moved to Buckinghamshire as Deputy Treasurer. This role included deputy treasurer to Thames Valley Police Authority. He then took on responsibility for a range of support functions as Director of Corporate Services.

In 1998 Mr Beckerleg's career took a distinct change when he was appointed as Director of Social Services for Buckinghamshire County Council and then took on responsibility for services for vulnerable children.

In 2004 John set up an interim management company and has undertaken a number of interim assignments interspersed with permanent roles with the Local Government Improvement and Development Agency, and the National Policing Improvement Agency.