Willie Rae
{{Short description|British chief constable}}
{{other people||William Rae (disambiguation){{!}}William Rae}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
Sir William Rae, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|QPM}}, is the former Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police, the largest police force in Scotland. In recognition of his achievements Rae was awarded a knighthood by the Queen, in 2005.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4082112.stm Police chief receives knighthood, BBC Scotland]
Career
He joined Dunbarton County Constabulary as a police cadet in 1966 and was appointed as a Constable in 1968. Dunbartonshire Constabulary merged with five other forces into what is now Strathclyde Police in 1975. Sir William was promoted to Sergeant in 1977 and rose swiftly through the ranks throughout the 1980s. In 1996, he became Chief Constable of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary.
In 2001, he returned to Strathclyde Police as Chief Constable. He served as the Honorary Secretary of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. In the spring of 2007, Sir William announced that he will retire from the Force in September 2007. He played a significant part in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport in July 2007. As the public face of Scotland's police, he was widely quoted across the world.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6257846.stm Airport incident 'was terrorism', BBC Scotland ] Sir Willie Rae retired in November 2007, replaced by Stephen House.
Honours
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;" | ||
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|Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| 40px | Knight Bachelor | * 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours List |
| 40px | Queen's Police Medal (QPM) | |
| 40px | Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal | * 2002
|
| 40px | Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal |
References
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{{succession box | title=Chief Constable of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary | before=Roy Cameron | after=David Strang| years=1996–2001}}
{{succession box | title=Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police | before=Sir John Orr | after=Stephen House| years=2001–2007}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rae, Willie}}
Category:British Chief Constables
Category:Scottish recipients of the Queen's Police Medal
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)