Greater Manchester Police Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods QPM has been awarded a CBE in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Terry Woods is the UK’s most experienced Deputy Chief Constable, beginning his policing career in 1996 with Lancashire Constabulary, having previously served as a Special Constable at Greater Manchester Police. After serving the public across many areas, including response, specialist operations, neighbourhood policing and safeguarding, he was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable in 2017, and later Deputy Chief Constable in 2019, before joining GMP in September 2021.
He is the National Police Chiefs Council’s lead for Police Driving, and in this role has informed the transformation of training standards, legislative change and tenaciously brought all 48 forces into full compliance. His work has contributed to public safety and provided more recognition and legal protections for police officers for the risk they are willing to take whilst protecting the public when driving in response to an emergency.
His national influence is also extensive in respect of his leadership of UK specialist command training and operations. wherein he is regularly sought out for advice, support and personally deployed. This extends to organisations outside of policing, where his knowledge, expertise and determination is seen to be of immense value.
DCC Woods is known as a strong and engaging leader, with a rare combination of high competence and high proficiency, and driving for organisational improvements. Whenever time allows, he is often to be found working shifts with one of the many teams across the force. He is genuinely liked and admired by those who work with him and for him.
Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Stephen Watson said: “I am delighted to see Deputy Chief Constable Woods recognised for his contributions to policing. He is an officer of exceptional calibre, with significant achievements that markedly exceed the requirements of his role, both locally and nationally.
“DCC Woods has been at my side at Greater Manchester Police, almost from the beginning of my tenure. His drive and effectiveness have been central to the improvements we have seen over the past five years. He has worked diligently through programmes of complex change, while driving up core standards and performance in what is genuinely one of the most challenging operating environments in UK policing.”
DCC Terry Woods said: “I am extremely humbled and proud to be receiving an honour from HM the King. I would particularly like to thank my wife and family who have supported me over many years, making countless sacrifices, as is the case for so many Police families. I would also like to pay tribute to the thousands of Greater Manchester Police officers and staff who work tirelessly around the clock to keep the public safe, all of which have my deepest respect and recognition for their constant dedication and sacrifice.”
In 2021 Deputy Chief Constable Woods was awarded the Queen’s Policing Medal for his services to policing, being described as an ‘exemplary operational leader’.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes has been awarded a King’s Police Medal (KPM) in the King’s Birthday Honours
His award, in recognition of services to policing, and most notably, his work in redefining the relationship between British policing and the Armed Forces Community (AFC). Chris not only serves as a senior officer in one of the UK’s most demanding forces, he has voluntarily dedicated thousands of hours to transform Greater Manchester Police (GMP) from an organisation with no formal veteran support into the national gold standard, creating a scalable blueprint, adopted nationally in the UK in 2025.
Assistant Chief Constable Sykes KPM, responding to the award said:“I feel very honoured to have been recognised in this way, by HM The King. It is my absolute privilege to do this job and for so many years.
“I am fortunate to be in a position that enables me to highlight and influence at a senior level, and across the UK, the selflessness and sacrifice veterans make in serving our country. We owe them a debt of gratitude, and I will continue to do all I can to ensure policing helps to pay that back. I also want to take the opportunity to thank others who have supported me in accomplishing the initiatives that have led to this award – this honour is reflective of the support I have received in delivering this important work.”
Chris’ work, a pioneering initiative to identify and support vulnerable veterans in receiving the mental health interventions they needed, instead of entering a cycle of reoffending. His work in this area saw referrals to the charity Op Nova increase from just 36 in 2018 to 444 in 2024 and the numbers only continue to rise.
In 2021, Chris pioneered a unique partnership where GMP negotiators provide de-escalation training to veteran caseworkers at no cost – more than 50 specialists have been trained, including the Royal British Legion’s National Urgent Support Team, directly preventing veteran suicides on a national scale.
Chris also helped develop the ‘Forcer Protocol’, revolutionising the search for missing veterans at risk of suicide. Under his direction, this has been successfully scaled to multiple UK forces under his personal guidance.
Further to this, Chris established and continues to chair GMP’s Supporting Our Armed Forces Strategic Steering Group, overhauling recruitment to mandate the identification of military service, ensuring no veteran is invisible.
Chris has worked with the NPCC, chairing national forums for 47 UK forces, including the Royal Gibraltar Police. His work also extends to serving reservists, advocating for more paid leave – exceeding national requirements – personally reviewing every mobilisation request. Previous mobilisations have led to his staff receiving their own honours, including an MBE, in recognition of their services.
Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Stephen Watson said: “Chris is a thoroughly deserving recipient of the King’s Police Medal and I couldn’t be prouder to see him recognised for his dedication to policing, and markedly his important, and meaningful, work for the Armed Forces Community.
“Chris identified a critical gap in veteran care, described as a silent transition into the criminal justice system. As a result, he personally drove the implementation of automated referrals for vulnerable veterans in custody. This was not simply a standard police requirement; it was his vision for better care and treatment for veterans.
“It cannot be underestimated how many lives have been changed for the better as a result, and more so when considered with his dedication to the Forcer Protocol and recruitment of veterans to GMP. Chris personally welcomes every veteran who joins the force, fostering a culture of belonging for the more than 250 Armed Forces Champions.
“Put simply, Chris is a visionary reformer as well as a dedicated, highly experienced, and well-respected and liked senior officer. His commitment to bridging the gap between policing and the military alone has ensured those who served the country are protected by the system they once defended. His legacy is a safer, more compassionate UK for the entire Armed Forces Community.”
