Ronald Gregory, (23 October 1921 – 9 April 2010), was a British police officer who served as chief constable of both

West Yorkshire Constabulary The West Yorkshire Constabulary (WYC) was, from 1968 to 1974, the statutory police force for the West Riding of Yorkshire, in northern England. It was formed under the Police Act 1964, and was a merger of the previous West Riding Constabulary a ...

and

West Yorkshire Police West Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. It is the fourth largest territorial police force in England and Wales by number of officers. History West Yor ...

from 1969 to 1983. He was head of the police force during its five-year

manhunt Manhunt may refer to: Search processes * Manhunt (law enforcement), a search for a dangerous fugitive * Manhunt (military), a search for a high-value target by special operations forces or intelligence agencies Social organisations * Manhun ...

for the ''

Yorkshire Ripper Peter William Sutcliffe (2 June 1946 – 13 November 2020) was an English serial killer who was dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper (an allusion to Jack the Ripper) by the press. Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting t ...

'',

Peter Sutcliffe Peter William Sutcliffe (2 June 1946 – 13 November 2020) was an English serial killer who was dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper (an allusion to Jack the Ripper) by the press. Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting t ...

. Having been born in

Preston, Lancashire Preston () is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston local government district. Preston and its surrounding distri ...

, Gregory served in the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF ...

and the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Having returned to civilian life in 1946, he served as a police officer and detective in his home town of Preston. In 1962 or 1963, he was appointed deputy chief constable of

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

. He was then chief constable of

Plymouth City Police Plymouth City Police was the city force for Plymouth, Devon, from 1928 to 1967. The force’s title was conferred upon it when the borough of Plymouth achieved city status in 1928.The Police Service in Plymouth, Brian Moseley Formation At the ...

before becoming deputy chief constable of the newly created

Devon and Cornwall Police Devon and Cornwall Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial counties of Devon and Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly) in England. The force serves approximately 1.8 million people over an area of . Hi ...

. In 1969, he became chief constable of

, where he would spend the rest of his career.

Early life

Gregory was born on 23 October 1921 in Preston,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, England. He came from a family of policemen: his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had been officers. He was educated at Harris College, known for its vocational and technical courses.

Military service

In 1942, at the age of 20, Gregory volunteered to join the

(RAFVR) to serve in the

. He then underwent

aircrew Aircrew, also called flight crew, are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose. Commercial aviation Flight deck positions ...

training in South Africa. On 18 December 1943, having reached the rank of

leading aircraftman Leading aircraftman (LAC) or leading aircraftwoman (LACW) is a junior rank in some air forces. It sits between aircraftman and senior aircraftman, and has a NATO rank code of OR-2. The rank badge is a horizontal two-bladed propeller. The ra ...

, he was granted an emergency commission as a

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...

on probation in the RAFVR. On 18 June 1944, his commission was confirmed and he was promoted to flying officer (

war substantive Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a m ...

). He transferred to the

as an officer of the

(RNVR) on 21 November 1944. He was granted the rank of temporary

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

(A) with seniority from 18 December 1943. With the RNVR, he saw active service in the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...

. He flew

Hellcats ''Hellcats'' is an American cheerleading comedy-drama television series that originally aired on The CW in the United States from September 8, 2010, to May 17, 2011. Based on the book ''Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders'' b ...

and Corsairs while being based on the

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

s and . In July 1945, he was shot down over

Phuket Island Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...

by the Japanese: after an emergency landing offshore, the injured Gregory swam out to sea while under heavy fire, before being rescued by a Walrus flying boat. He was demobilised in 1946.

Police career

Gregory began his policing career as a police cadet with the

borough force before joining Preston borough police as a constable in 1941. After completing his probationary period, he left the police to serve in the military for the rest of the

. He was demobilised in 1946 and returned to Preston to continue his police career. He became a

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...

, and rose through the ranks of

CID CID may refer to: Film * ''C.I.D.'' (1955 film), an Indian Malayalam film * ''C.I.D.'' (1956 film), an Indian Hindi film * ''C. I. D.'' (1965 film), an Indian Telugu film * ''C.I.D.'' (1990 film), an Indian Hindi film Television * ''CID'' ( ...

until he was a

detective chief inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is use ...

. In 1962 or 1963, he became a

chief officer A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...

, having been appointed deputy chief constable of Blackpool. He became chief constable of

in 1965. However, only two years later, the city police was merged with its neighbouring forces into

; he became deputy chief constable of the new force in 1967 or 1968. In 1969, Gregory began his final police appointment: as chief constable of

. Due to government restructuring, the city constabularies of Leeds and Bradford were merged into the wider county force in 1973, enlarging his constabulary and remit: this new force was called the

West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police West Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, England. It is the fourth largest territorial police force in England and Wales by number of officers. History West Yor ...

. This amalgamation created tensions and split loyalties throughout the force in the early years, and were cited as a major cause of issue relating to the hunt for the 'Yorkshire Ripper'. He introduced a number of innovations to the force, including armed response mobile units,

VASCAR VASCAR (Visual Average Speed Computer And Recorder) is a type of device for calculating the speed of a moving vehicle. The first VASCAR device was created in 1966 by Arthur Marshall. It is used by police officers to enforce speed limits, and may b ...

speed detectors in patrol cars, and a

motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

patrol unit. On 30 October 1975,

killed the first of his 13 known victims: 28-year-old Wilma Mary McCann from

Scott Hall, Leeds Scott Hall is a suburb of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, adjacent to Chapeltown and Meanwood. The suburb falls within the Chapel Allerton and Moortown wards of Leeds City Council. The Scott Hall estate is made up largely of 1930s co ...

. Sutcliffe would not be arrested until January 1981, after which he confessed to 13 murders. Gregory directly contributed to the delay in finding Sutcliffe through his support of the '

Wearside Jack Wearside Jack is the nickname given to John Samuel Humble (8 January 1956 – 30 July 2019), a British man who pretended to be the Yorkshire Ripper in a hoax audio recording and several letters during the period 1978–1979. Humble sent a taped ...

' cassette tape and letters; these were later revealed to be a hoax but diverted detectives for two years into chasing a non-existent lead. The associated press and poster campaign which was fronted by Gregory himself cost the inquiry almost £1 million. That line of inquiry produced "100 per cent rubbish", and, in July 1979, Sutcliffe was interviewed for the fifth time but was dismissed as a suspect because his voice and handwriting did not fit 'Wearside Jack'. Sutcliffe would go on to kill at least three more women. He was finally arrested on 2 January 1981 by a neighbouring force for a traffic offence, although further investigation of the scene the following day revealed a hammer and knife: the 'Yorkshire Ripper' had been found and Sutcliffe readily confessed to 13 murders. Gregory swiftly called a triumphant press conference, stating that he was "delighted with developments at this stage" and announcing the immediate scaling-down of the Ripper manhunt. This would become known as the "laughing policeman" press conference, and he was criticised for both his jubilant behaviour and the possibility of prejudicing Sutcliffe's future trial. The later inquiry into the manhunt's failings was highly critical of Gregory's decision to appoint George Oldfield as senior investigating officer: he only undertook the role part-time in addition to his duties as assistant chief constable (crime), and he was not considered to have had the professional competence and charisma to effectively lead such a large inquiry. In addition, when Oldfield took ill in 1979, Gregory was found to have not acted swiftly enough to ensure a clear replacement was appointed. Gregory retired early from the police in 1983, two years after Sutcliffe was apprehended. He sold his memoirs to the ''

Mail on Sunday ''The Mail on Sunday'' is a British conservative newspaper, published in a tabloid format. It is the biggest-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK and was launched in 1982 by Lord Rothermere. Its sister paper, the ''Daily Mail'', was first pub ...

'' for a reported £40,000. This was widely criticised with the families of Sutcliffe's victims describing it as "blood money",

Leon Brittan Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, (25 September 193921 January 2015) was a British Conservative politician and barrister who served as a European Commissioner from 1989 to 1999. As a member of Parliament from 1974 to 1988, he serve ...

, the Home Secretary, called it "deplorable", and the ''

Police Review ''Police Review'' (also known as ''Jane's Police Review'') was a weekly magazine for police officers in the United Kingdom, latterly published by Jane's Information Group Jane's Information Group, now styled Janes, is a global open-source in ...

'' called him a hypocrite. One survivor of an attack by Sutcliffe was only awarded £17,000 in compensation after a long legal fight, and as chief constable he had banned his officers from speaking to the press.

Personal life

In 1942, Gregory married Grace Ellison. Together they had two sons. Gregory spent much of his retirement living in Portugal. He died on 9 April 2010, aged 88.

Honours

In the

1971 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1971 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the ''Lond ...

, Gregory was awarded the

Queen's Police Medal for Distinguished Service The King's Police Medal (KPM) is awarded to police in the United Kingdom for gallantry or distinguished service. It was also formerly awarded within the wider British Empire, including Commonwealth countries, most of which now have their own hono ...

(QPM) in recognition of his work as chief constable of West Yorkshire Constabulary. In 1977, he was made a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) to the

Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire The office of Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire was created on 1 April 1974. *Kenneth Hargreaves: 1 April 1974 – 1978 (previously West Riding Lieutenant since 1970) *Sir William Bulmer: 1978–1985 *John Taylor, Baron Ingrow: 1985–1992 *John ...

. In the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(CBE) in recognition of his work as chief constable of West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, Ronald 1921 births 2010 deaths Chief Constables of West Yorkshire Police People from Preston, Lancashire Commanders of the Order of the British Empire British recipients of the Queen's Police Medal Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Royal Air Force airmen Royal Air Force officers Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II Alumni of the University of Central Lancashire Deputy Lieutenants of West Yorkshire Royal Navy officers of World War II