Mike Barton - Chief Constable (LLB 1978)

Mike Barton is Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary. He graduated from Newcastle with a degree in Law in 1978, and served for 28 years in Lancashire Constabulary before joining Durham as assistant chief constable in 2008, being made chief constable in 2012. He has introduced new ways of tackling organised criminals, and Durham is now recognised as a leading force in tackling serious and organised crime as well as managing offenders. In 2016, Mike was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in recognition of his decades of service. In 2018, Durham Constabulary was rated “outstanding” by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services for the third year running, the only force in the country to receive the top grade.