Managing Protests and Public Order Conference 

Clifford Stott is Professor of Policing Research and Academic Director of the Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL) at The Open University. He is Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Police Science Advisory Council (PSAC), through which he supports the Chief Scientific Adviser for Policing and the development of science, research and innovation across UK policing. He has also held visiting academic positions at The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs and University College London.

Professor Stott is a leading international authority on crowd psychology and public order policing. As a co-developer of the social identity approach to crowd behaviour, his research has helped transform understanding of the dynamics through which policing can either prevent or contribute to conflict and disorder. He has led or co-led research programmes worth more than £8.2 million and published over sixty peer-reviewed articles alongside several books, including Policing the Crowd (Routledge, 2026).

Across more than twenty-five years, he has worked with police forces, governments and international organisations to translate scientific evidence into policy and operational practice. His recent work includes major programmes of research and innovation on football policing in the UK and Europe, preparations for international sporting events, and collaborations with police agencies across the United States to develop dialogue-led and evidence-based approaches to protest policing.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Stott advised the UK Government through the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), where he co-chaired its Security and Policing sub-group. His work continues to shape national and international thinking on public order, police legitimacy, crowd governance and the role of science in strengthening policing.

Andy Rhodes OBE QPM served 30 years as a police officer and is the former Chief Constable of Lancashire Police. Up until retirement in 2021 he was chair of CPOSA the Chief Police Officers Staff Association, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the North West Police Benevolent Fund and National Police Chiefs Council lead for well being and organisational development. In 2015 he established the first National Police Well Being Service – Oscar Kilo which he continues to support as Service Director.
He was awarded the Queens Police Medal in 2017 and an OBE in the 2022 birthday honours for services to emergency service workers mental health. He is a voluntary member of INVICTM the International Network Supporting Victims of Terrorism and Mass Violence and has been instrumental in the development of the Police Covenant for England & Wales. He is a member of the National Forum for Health & Well Being which advises organisations and Government on workforce health issues.
Andy is married to Helen a psychotherapist and has 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

​Geoff Pearson is Professor of Law at the University of Manchester, and Academic Director of the N8 Policing Research Partnership. He is an expert on the intersection of law, human rights, and policing, primarily utilising ethnographic research methods. He has published extensively in the areas of police powers and public order policing, particularly relating to protest and football, including five monographs. Geoff has previously advised the UK Home Office, DCMS, the JCHC, SGSA, OSCE, IOPC, NPCC, the College of Policing and the Law Commission, as well as police forces and sports governing bodies domestically and internationally, and he delivers the human rights component of the POPS Gold Commander’s Accreditation and Re-Accreditation courses. ​

Chief Constable Mark Hobrough joined Gwent Police in 2020 as Chief Superintendent for Local Policing, responsible for Caerphilly, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent, before becoming Assistant Chief Constable in 2022 and subsequently Chief Constable.

With more than 30 years of policing experience, Mark has enjoyed a diverse career spanning frontline operations, specialist policing, organisational reform and partnership working. A graduate in Financial Economics, he joined South Wales Police in 1995 and has served in a range of operational and leadership roles, including Police Dog Handler, Tactical Firearms Commander and Hostage Negotiator. He later qualified as a Strategic Firearms Commander, Gold Public Order Commander and Gold CBRN Commander, and served as the Welsh Region’s Lead Counter Terrorism Security Coordinator.

Mark has also gained international policing experience, supporting the Kenyan Police Service in Nairobi and Queensland Police during the 2018 Commonwealth Games. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he led Gwent Police’s strategic response as Gold Commander.

Since joining Gwent Police, Mark has overseen significant organisational development, including the creation of the Roads Policing and Specialist Operations Department, Investigations Hub, File Management Unit and Virtual Response Team. He has also led improvements to the force’s spontaneous, major and critical incident leadership arrangements and has served as Regional Strategic Lead for the Joint Firearms Unit, providing armed policing capability across Gwent, South Wales and Dyfed-Powys.

At a national level, Mark has held several National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) portfolio responsibilities, including Public Order and Public Safety, Hate Crime, Transferable Animal Diseases and Dangerous Dogs. As the national lead for Public Order and Public Safety, he worked closely with the Home Office and partners to oversee the policing response to protest and disorder, including leading Operation Leste in 2025 in response to immigration and asylum-related protests. In 2026, he additionally provided national leadership for Operation Solar, coordinating policing’s response to heightened antisemitic tensions and violence, strengthening protective measures, community engagement and operational preparedness across the United Kingdom. He has also led the NPCC Hate Crime Portfolio, focusing on improving victim confidence, strengthening community cohesion and promoting effective approaches to prevention and intervention.

Mark currently chairs the NPCC National Operations Committee, overseeing fifteen national portfolios and helping to ensure policing is prepared to respond effectively to evolving operational demands across areas including public order and public safety, armed policing, aviation and the Police Race Action Plan.

Passionate about strengthening public trust and confidence, Mark is committed to improving operational effectiveness, organisational culture and community engagement. He believes policing should be delivered with professionalism, inclusion and compassion, whilst maintaining a clear focus on preventing crime, protecting the public and providing outstanding service to communities.

Alan is Head of Communications at the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), where he oversees the communication team. He has more than 12 years’ experience across journalism, public affairs, and strategic communications, and has a particular focus in his current role on strengthening the relationship between policing and the media. Alan led the development of the national Policing and Media Charter, bringing together police communicators, journalists, editors, and industry organisations to establish clearer standards and improve trust between the two professions.

He also led the introduction of Journalist Safety Liaison Officers across all 48 police forces, creating a national network to support journalists facing harassment or abuse because of their work. Alan previously led the Press Office team at Essex Police and prior to moving into communication, much of his professional career was spent in senior management roles in regional newsrooms, particularly leading change projects as newsrooms moved from prioritising print to digital. He is Vice Chair of the Association of Police Communicators.

Jon Vale is strategic communications lead at the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), leading work on national media strategy, crisis communications and stakeholder engagement. With more than a decade of experience spanning political journalism and police communications, he has advised chief officers and senior leaders on some of the most complex communications challenges facing policing.

His recent work has included helping coordinate national communications responses to major public order incidents, disorder and community cohesion issues, bringing together police forces, government departments and criminal justice partners to support a consistent national approach. Jon has also led work to strengthen policing’s crisis communications capability, including the development of national frameworks and closer alignment with cross-government crisis planning.

Patrick joined London Fire Brigade (LFB) in 1997 serving at several fire stations in Central and East London. Rising steadily through the ranks he served as Borough Commander in Islington and Tower Hamlets, before being promoted to Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Special Operations Group (SOG). He is currently the Assistant Commissioner for Operational Resilience and Control (OR&C) and the Deputy Chair of the London Resilience Forum.

In 2017, he responded in various command roles to the terrorist attacks at Westminster Bridge, London Bridge, Finsbury Park, Parsons Green, Fishmongers Hall, the fire at Grenfell Tower. He was the Incident Commander for the Major Incidents at the New Providence Wharf fire in 2021, Spectrum Building Fire in 2024 and Strategic Commander for the substation fire resulting in power outages at Heathrow 2025.

Patrick was LFB Strategic/Gold Commander for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Operation London Bridge following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and in 2023 Operation Golden Orb, the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

He is responsible for delivering LFB’s response to events (pre-planned or spontaneous), capabilities and response to terrorism, public order, major and high threat incidents with Brigade Control responsible for all operations for the delivery of LFB’s emergency call activity. Patrick also chairs LFB’s Equality Support Group (ESG), providing a powerful voice and support to underrepresented groups within LFB.

He is the NFCC Counter Terrorism (CT) National Coordinator, responsible for International Operations, United Kingdom’s National Inter-Agency Liaison Officer (NILO) cadre and National Coordination Office and the NILO foundation course which delivers acquisition training for all UK emergency service NILOs and collaborates with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisations (NATO).

Patrick was awarded the Kings Fire Service Medal (KFSM) in the 2025 Kings Birthday Honors for his distinguished service in the fire and rescue sector.

Superintendent David Rhodes is the lead for Operations and Planning within the Metropolitan Police Service’s MO6 Public Order Command, responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of ceremonial events, public order operations, major events and football policing across London.

With extensive experience in public order and major event policing, David has held senior roles in the planning and delivery of nationally significant operations, including Operation London Bridge, the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the Ukraine Recovery Conference. A qualified Public Order Public Safety Commander, he has been involved for many years in some of London’s largest and most complex operations, including Notting Hill Carnival, the Million Mask March, major protest events, football operations and large-scale public gatherings.

David is currently the lead tactical coordinator for London in preparation for UEFA EURO 2028, leading planning with policing, government, transport and local authority partners to ensure the capital is ready to support one of the largest sporting events ever hosted in the UK.

Recognised for building strong partnerships and delivering innovative operational solutions, David continues to play a key role in shaping public order and major event policing, ensuring London remains prepared to meet the challenges of policing a global city.

Clifford Stott is Professor of Policing Research and Academic Director of the Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL) at The Open University. He is Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council Police Science Advisory Council (PSAC), through which he supports the Chief Scientific Adviser for Policing and the development of science, research and innovation across UK policing. He has also held visiting academic positions at The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs and University College London.

Professor Stott is a leading international authority on crowd psychology and public order policing. As a co-developer of the social identity approach to crowd behaviour, his research has helped transform understanding of the dynamics through which policing can either prevent or contribute to conflict and disorder. He has led or co-led research programmes worth more than £8.2 million and published over sixty peer-reviewed articles alongside several books, including Policing the Crowd (Routledge, 2026).

Across more than twenty-five years, he has worked with police forces, governments and international organisations to translate scientific evidence into policy and operational practice. His recent work includes major programmes of research and innovation on football policing in the UK and Europe, preparations for international sporting events, and collaborations with police agencies across the United States to develop dialogue-led and evidence-based approaches to protest policing.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Stott advised the UK Government through the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), where he co-chaired its Security and Policing sub-group. His work continues to shape national and international thinking on public order, police legitimacy, crowd governance and the role of science in strengthening policing.