Chris Porter

Tab 01 · Profile

Profile

Former Director of Forensic Services for London's Metropolitan Police, after forty years in forensics and policing. Chaired the Strategic DNA Board on behalf of the Home Office, was National Police Chiefs' Council lead for forensic quality, and served on the Forensic Science Regulator's Advisory Council and the Board of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes. Fellow of the Westminster Abbey Institute and a Board member of the Queensland Forensic Science Advisory Council.

Chris led the delivery, design and development of Forensic Services within the Metropolitan Police Service from 2018 to 2024, reporting to the MPS Management Board and leading c1,350 forensic staff and officers with a budget of c£110m, covering crime scenes, the laboratory and court. He was the MPS Senior Accountable Individual under the Forensic Science Regulator's Statutory Code and Senior Responsible Owner for the Forensic Services transformation programme; in earlier MPS leadership roles he led the first police laboratory in England and Wales to attain ISO 17025 accreditation and delivered a c£50m laboratory consolidation across London.

His national and international standing spans the National Police Chiefs' Council lead role for forensic quality and standards (2021 – 2024) and board memberships of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes and the UK Association of Forensic Science Providers. He now serves on the Forensic Science Advisory Council in Queensland, Australia — appointed by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice following the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing — and as an assessor for the College of Policing within the police leadership programme. He holds a first-class BSc (Hons) in Policing & Police Studies from Canterbury Christ Church University.

Tab 02 · Areas of expertise

Areas of expertise

• Forensics Forty years in forensic science and public service, from twenty years of hands-on front-line analysis and interpretation to Director of Forensic Services for the Metropolitan Police, leading c1,350 forensic staff and officers and a budget of c£110m.
• Forensic quality and regulation National Police Chiefs' Council lead for forensic quality and standards; led the first police laboratory in England and Wales to attain ISO 17025 accreditation, and Senior Accountable Individual for the MPS under the Forensic Science Regulator's Statutory Code.
• Governance Board member of the Queensland Forensic Science Advisory Council, appointed by the Attorney-General following the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing; former board member of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes and the UK Association of Forensic Science Providers.
• Transformation & business change Senior Responsible Owner for the MPS Forensic Services transformation programme; delivered £10.4m of change-programme savings, a c£50m laboratory consolidation closing seven sites across London and two streamlining programmes reducing the pay budget by £4.7m.
• Leadership assessment & development Active assessor for the College of Policing at national assessment and development centres, including the Senior Police National Assessment Centre and the Executive Leaders Programme.

Tab 03 · Service record

Service record

• 2024 – present Associate Ex-Service Assessor, College of Policing Active assessor in national assessment and development centres within the police leadership programme, including the Senior Police National Assessment Centre, the Executive Leaders Programme and fast-track selection processes.
• 2024 – present Board Member, Forensic Science Advisory Council, Queensland, Australia Appointed by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice following the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing and the Forensic Science Queensland Act 2024, monitoring and advising on the policies and procedures of Forensic Science Queensland relating to the administration of criminal justice.
• 2021 – 2024 National and international forensic science boards National Police Chiefs' Council lead for Forensic Quality & Standards (2021 – 2024); board member of the UK Association of Forensic Science Providers (2022 – 2024) and the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (2021 – 2024).
• 2018 – 2024 Director of Forensic Services, Metropolitan Police Service Reported to the MPS Management Board, leading c1,350 forensic staff and officers and a budget of c£110m covering crime scenes, the laboratory and court; Senior Accountable Individual under the Forensic Science Regulator's Statutory Code and Senior Responsible Owner for the Forensic Services transformation programme.
• 2014 – 2018 Head of Forensic Quality & Capability, Metropolitan Police Service Led the MPS Forensic Change Programme, delivering £10.4m of savings, a c£50m laboratory refurbishment consolidating seven sites across London, two streamlining programmes reducing the pay budget by £4.7m and an extension of ISO 17025 accreditation across four laboratory service areas.
• 2008 – 2014 Head of Specialist Forensic Services, Metropolitan Police Service Delivered laboratory services spanning firearms, biology and trace, specialist imaging, fingerprint enhancement and DNA reporting, and oversaw external forensic providers; led the first police laboratory in England and Wales to attain ISO 17025 accreditation and established a self-contained forensic firearms capability, reducing external spend by c£645,000 a year.
• Earlier career Forensic science practitioner and public service Twenty years' experience as a hands-on forensic practitioner, from front-line analysis and interpretation to strategic leadership — the foundation of forty years in forensic science and public service, with twenty years at senior leadership level and six at executive level.