Alison joined Hampshire Constabulary in 2000 and is now a chief officer in the Metropolitan Police Service on secondment to National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Alison’s varied career includes roles in the Criminal Investigations Department, Public Protection, child abuse investigation, city commander and emergency response commander. Alison has managed impactive community issues and driven the force-wide strategic response to hate crime and harmful practices. Alison practiced as a Crisis Negotiator for eight years.

Alison’s policing roles have been enhanced by secondments to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue and teaching at John Jay Exchange College of Criminal Justice, New York. Alison has supported victims of people trafficking in San Paulo, Brazil.

Alison transferred from Hampshire Constabulary and joined the Metropolitan Police Service in June 2020 as a Frontline Policing Commander with additional pan London responsibility for a number of portfolios including neighbourhood policing. Alison took up the role of NPCC Chief Officer lead for Out of Court Resolutions in 2021, she is responsible for supporting forces in readiness and ahead of the new Statutory Reform, according to Part 6 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Act 2022, that delivers a rehabilitative approach to offending. Her appointment as Director for the Police Race Action Plan in August 2023 sees her driving a national programme of work necessary to respond to critically low levels of trust and confidence in Black communities. Alison is also a Gold Public Order Public Safety Commander.

Her policing imperative is to utilise the tenets of procedural justice to build legitimacy in building stakeholder trust and confidence, reduce harm to communities and drive equity in policing outcomes. This has been realised in roles in policing, influence on tactical delivery, impact on strategic policy and academic research.