Leadership team

Chief Constable Chris Noble has been a police officer for more than 26 years, joining the Royal Ulster Constabulary after he graduated from Queens University Belfast with an honours degree in Law.

Chris has worked in a variety of roles across policing and has held a number of key leadership positions in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) across local policing, professional standards, criminal justice and headquarters commands.

He was the Commander for Belfast City Policing District, leading more than 1000 staff with responsibility for overt counter-terrorism policing, local response and neighbourhood policing, and public order and civil contingencies. Chris was also service lead for engagement, evidence-based policing, business crime and the operational lead for wellbeing.

In March 2014 Chris passed the Strategic Command Course and became temporary Assistant Chief Constable at PSNI, with Chief Officer responsibilities for service improvement, organisational change and performance. Chris moved to Humberside Police in 2017 to become Assistant Chief Constable, responsible for serious and organised crime, public contact and specialist operations. In particular he had responsibility for improving investigations, securing an effective response to the most vulnerable and building an effective Force Contact Centre as part of the chief officer team which saw Humberside police come out of HMICFRS engagement and evidence significant and sustained improvements.

Chris was appointed as Chief Constable for Staffordshire Police in December 2021.

Nationally, Chris is the NPCC Protest lead and works with all UK Forces and key stakeholders to support a consistent, proportionate and effective response to the policing of protest activity.

Chris is an experienced Gold and Silver Public Order Commander, a Strategic Firearms Commander, a Security Coordinator and is a previous Head of the PSNI Close Protection Unit. He currently chairs the Staffordshire Local Resilience Forum.

In 2013 he was awarded a Masters in Police Leadership and Applied Criminology by Cambridge University, and is a member of the Charted Management Institute and the Institute of Directors.

Emma became Deputy Chief Constable on 1st August 2020 and now leads the Directorate which includes: Corporate Communications, Professional Standards Department, Corporate Planning and Business Change and Information Assurance.

Emma became a police officer in 1993 when she joined West Midlands Police after obtaining a degree in Geography from the University of Oxford. In 2005, Emma achieved an MSc in HR and Business from Aston Business School. During her career with West Midlands Police Emma undertook a range of roles within local policing plus Staff Officer, Senior Investigating Officer, leading the Force Change Programme and finally as Chief Superintendent led one of the largest policing units in the country, Birmingham West & Central.

After completing the Strategic Command Course in 2016, Emma was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief Constable here at Staffordshire Police. She had responsibility for the Investigations Directorate including Serious & Organised Crime, Counter Terrorism, CID, Major and Specialist investigations and Forensics, and also the Operational Support Directorate which includes Intelligence and Knowledge Hub, Criminal Justice and Operations.

Emma is a Strategic Firearms Commander and Gold Public Order Commander and has led the force response to moving to critical status after terrorist attacks in 2017, as well as to the Covid 19 pandemic. She is a strong supporter of women in policing which was formally recognised whilst in West Midlands Police and continues with her support to the Staffordshire Association of Women in Policing.

Emma is also the NPCC lead for Victims and Witnesses, writing the national strategy in 2019.

Becky Riggs became ACC at Staffordshire Police on 16 January 2023 leading the force on investigations and operations. She has previously been a detective chief superintendent, the head of Action Fraud and National Fraud Investigation Bureau (NFIB), at the City of London Police.

Becky has 29 years of policing experience, having begun her career in Dorset Constabulary as a police cadet. She then worked in operations for 10 years, as well was taking on the role of a firearms officer in close protection and counter terrorism.

In 2013, Becky moved to Hampshire Police as a detective chief inspector and was force lead for child abuse and child sexual exploitation.

She later became the head of serious and complex crime and was also the regional lead for family liaison.

In 2016, Becky moved to the Metropolitan Police and as a superintendent, ran operations for the borough of Lambeth, before moving to counter terrorism. She was the senior investigating officer for the first London Bridge Attack in 2017 until the 2019 inquests.

Stuart Ellison started as ACC as Staffordshire Police in February 2023, leading the force on local policing, contact and operations.

Stuart’s career in policing began in 1994 in Stockport, when he joined Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in 1994, before later joining the Merseyside force for 16 years.

His time at Merseyside Police saw him serve in uniform, the criminal investigations department and the public order unit, before he returned to GMP in 2010.

Stuart previously held superintendent roles in Wigan and Manchester city centre before his promotion to chief superintendent in 2013 saw him take on the role of head of the operational communications branch.

In recent years, he has been the area commander for Bolton and Wigan, became district commander for Bolton in September 2021 and was GMP’s force lead for specials. He too has more than 27 years’ policing experience.

John joined the Force in March 2018 as Chief Finance Officer (and Section 151 Officer), and since September 2022 is the Assistant Chief Officer for Resources which covers:

• People and Organisational Development
• Finance and Commercial Services
• IT & Technology
• Estates
• Transport
• Project Management Office

John began his career in Finance at Staffordshire County Council, having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in History, progressing from trainee accountant to Senior Finance Business Partner, before moving to work for Cornwall Council for a number of years. Before joining Staffordshire Police John briefly worked in the NHS. John is a member of CIPFA Council and CIPFA’s Public Financial Management Board, a member of the NPCC finance coordination committee as well as being a school governor.

During his time at Staffordshire John has led the transformation of the Forces finance function and overall financial position, with Staffordshire Police now being one of the most financially resilient forces in the United Kingdom as well as being awarded a national public finance award in 2020. John is passionate about the development of future talent across the organisation as well as giving officers and staff the tools to deliver on behalf of the residents of Staffordshire.