Neil Basu QPM

Neil Basu, is a retired Metropolitan Police Service officer who served as the Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations (ACSO) and national lead for Counter Terrorism Policing 2018-2021. He retired in 2022 as a Non-Executive Director at the College of Policing representing National Police Chiefs’ Council and he was the Leadership and International Strategic Advisor to the College Board. He delivered the 2021 Strategic Command Course for the College, its most senior leadership development programme for aspiring Chief Officers.

Neil was at the forefront of Counter Terrorism policing for over six years during an unprecedented shift in threat, and has been instrumental in strengthening police capability, closer working with intelligence partners, and an increase in preventative interventions to counter radicalisation. During his tenure his teams, in partnership with MI5, disrupted 29 plots, responded to 12 attacks, arrested, charged, and convicted over 600 terrorists.

Neil was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) for distinguished service in 2016. In 2022 he received an Honorary Award as Doctor of Laws from Staffordshire University for promoting diversity in policing.