Sir John Woodcock (14 January 1932 – 21 September 2012) was Chief Inspector of Constabulary from January 1990 to July 1993.HMIC Profile
Career Rising through the ranks Born in Preston to a painter and decorator, Woodcock joined the Lancashire Constabulary as a Police cadet in 1947. Between 1950 and 1952 he served in the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police during the Korean War. He rejoined the Lancashire Constabulary after the war as a Constable rising to the rank of Chief Inspector by 1965, in which year he transferred to the Bedfordshire and Luton Constabulary. There he was promoted to Superintendent and then Chief Superintendent.
Senior rank In 1968 he transferred to Gwent Constabulary and was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable. He was next Deputy Chief Constable of Gwent (1970-1974) and then of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary (1974-1978). After this he became Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police (1978-1979) then of South Wales Constabulary (1979-1983), followed by the post of HM Inspector of Constabulary for Wales and the Midlands (1983-1990).‘WOODCOCK, Sir John’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, April 2016 accessed 15 May 2016 His final role before retirement was as Chief Inspector of Constabulary (1990-1993).
Awards He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 1976. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1983, and was knighted in 1989.
Ribbon Description Notes Knight Bachelor (Kt) 1989 Order of the British Empire (CBE) Commander Civil Division 1983 Order of St John (CStJ) Commander Queen's Police Medal (QPM) 1976 Korea Medal 1952 United Nations Korea Medal 1952 Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal 1977 Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
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