Assistant Chief Officer and Chief Resource Officer recognised in the New Year Honours List

Named in this year’s New Year Honours List 2025 is one of our Assistant Chief Officer’s (ACO), Ian Cosh, who has been made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Officially recognising his services to policing, ACO Cosh has been responsible for securing almost £2m funding from the Home Office to support GMP officer recruitment and ensure that new officers are better equipped when serving the public.

This has included upgrading our fleet, uniforms, technology, and equipment, to ensure Greater Manchester has a police force they can be proud of.

He led GMP’s support services into our latest His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary inspection, which showed us to be the most improved force in the country, and has played a critical role within a number of key issues such officer uplift, despite financial challenges.

Described by his colleagues as universally respected and wise, ACO Cosh’s background speaks to his vast experience. He is also secretary of the Chief Police Officers’ Staff Association (CPOSA) and has taken a lead role in the development and improvement of the welfare support system for members.

This has included taking active measures to decrease stigma and implement a peer support network of over 50 volunteers.

ACO Cosh said: “I am incredibly proud and grateful to receive this honour. The work that we all do at GMP is a collaborative endeavour, and I would not be here today without the support and cooperation of our officers and staff.”

Meanwhile, Chief Resource Officer, Lee Rawlinson, has been honoured for his time as Director for Sustainability and Service Operations at the Environment Agency.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson QPM said: “Both ACO Cosh and CRO Rawlinson are wholly deserving of the honours they have received. They have both been recognised for their unstinting professional commitment and for delivering tangible outcomes in the public interest.

“Their nominations rightly reflect their dedication to public service, their being so valuable a part of our collective endeavour; and to their possessing an abundance of the attitude, skill and determination that has helped to ensure that GMP remains both resurgent and at the forefront of modern policing.”