NPCC National Out of Court Resolutions Event
9th October 2025
Banking Hall
14 Cornhill
London EC3V 3ND
HMCI Andy Cooke
Andy Cooke joined Merseyside Police in 1985 having obtained an Honours Degree in Politics from Nottingham University. He served as a detective at every rank. T
hroughout his career, Andy has had numerous roles including being in charge of the Robbery Squad and Target Operations at the Major Crime Unit. He became the first Commander of the nationally recognised ‘Matrix’ team, responsible for tackling gun and gang enabled crime.
During his time as Area Commander for South Liverpool, Andy was instrumental in significantly reducing crime, antisocial behaviour and disorder and South Liverpool became one of the highest performing Basic Command Units in the country. In 2008, Andy was appointed Assistant Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary where he held the roles of ACC Specialist Operations and ACC Territorial Operations. He returned to Merseyside in 2012, was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable in 2013 and in 2016 he was appointed Chief Constable. During this time, Andy led the biggest reorganisation in Merseyside Police’s 40 year history. While he was Chief, the force was graded as the highest performing metropolitan force by HMICFRS.
Nationally, Andy held some of the highest risk portfolios in policing. In addition to leading the creation of the United Kingdom Protected Persons Service, he was the national policing lead for serious organised crime and national lead for crime.
Andy has also been commended on ten occasions and in 2014 was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal. He is a Deputy Lieutenant of the Merseyside Lieutenancy and an Adjunct Professor within the School of Justice Studies at Liverpool John Moores University.
He is married with twin daughters. Andy was appointed as HM Inspector of Constabulary and HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services in April 2021 where he was the HMI for Northern England and the SRO for the PEEL inspection programme.
On 1 April 2022 Andy was appointed as HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and HM Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services. In December 2024 he was awarded a knighthood for services to policing and to public service in the King’s New Years Honours List.
Donna Jones
Donna Jones was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on 6 May 2021, achieving 312,993 of the votes cast across the two counties. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is one of the largest police force areas in the country. In 2024, Donna was re-elected as Police and Crime Commissioner with a 70,000 majority.
Donna was the youngest member of the judiciary in England and Wales when she was appointed to the South East Hampshire (Magistrates) Bench in October 2005. She served as a bench chair for 16 years until she was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner. This has helped her develop a strong background in criminal justice.
From 2014-2018 Donna was the first woman to be elected the Leader of Portsmouth City council in Hampshire, presiding over a £780million budget. During this time she received national recognition for the commercial approach she brought to the running of the city council, generating millions of pounds of income each year. She has a thorough understanding of managing public sector finances; of generating new income and removing wastage from outdated contracts ensuring your taxes are spent wisely.
As well as being the PCC for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Donna previously led on the national Victims and Serious Organised Crime portfolios for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, before taking up the role of the Chair in July 2023. She now leads on the national Criminal Justice agenda.
Donna is also a non-executive director on the board of the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, helping to shape the Chamber's strategic growth as the county's independent voice of businesses.
Donna is Hampshire born and bred. Her professional background is in banking. She is married with two sons.
Alison Lowe OBE
Alison Lowe is the Deputy Mayor for Police and Crime in West Yorkshire. She started her role in July 2021 and was appointed by the new Metro Mayor, Tracy Brabin, because of her extensive voluntary sector, political and policing experience over a 30+ year period.
Alison worked in the Third Sector for more than 30 years, most recently as Chief Executive of Touchstone, a Mental Health Charity working across West Yorkshire. Touchstone work with and for people that are affected by mental health problems, and they specialise in working with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Alison has been involved in local government for 29 years and was a councillor with the Labour Party. Alison was also the Chair of the Police and Crime Panel, the body that scrutinises the performance of the Police and Crime Commissioner and represents the interests of all the 2.4 million people across West Yorkshire. Alison was the Deputy Lord Mayor of Leeds in 2003-4 and was made an Honorary Alderwoman of the city in 2020. In this role, Alison was asked to review Leeds’ statues following the BLM protests.
Alison is a Non-Executive Director with Leeds Community Health NHS Trust.
Over the years, Alison has been a well-known campaigner on equal rights and chaired the Leeds Domestic Violence Forum that raises awareness of domestic violence against women and children by known men for over 25 years.
Alison Lowe holds an MA in Medieval Studies from Leeds University and a BA in History and was given an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 2022. She was also awarded an OBE in the January 2022 Queen’s Honours List. Alison has 2 grown up children, Adam and Rosy and grandchildren Mae and Oscar.
Professor Alex Stevens
Alex Stevens is Professor in Criminology in the Centre for Criminological Research at the University of Sheffield. He is a former member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and former President of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy. He leads the PDD evaluation which has been funded by the Cabinet Office to find out if and how police-led drug diversion schemes work..
Alexander Beerjeraz
Alexander is the National Delivery Lead for User Voice, a charity exists to reduce the damage caused by the justice system: to victims, those in the system and their families, communities and to the public purse. He joined the organisation in 2022, drawing on his own experiences within the system. Starting as an Engagement Team Member, Alex quickly became involved in high-impact initiatives such as the Public Patient Voice London, HMI Probation Inspections, and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).
Since then, Alex has led significant projects, including the Race Equality Thematic in Probation Services, User Voice's acclaimed prison councils, and a Cabinet Office-funded evaluation of Police Drug Diversion Schemes. In his current role, he oversees the national delivery for User Voice, managing a team of lived-experience consultants who work on a wide range of projects within the criminal justice system.
Alex has recently contributed to the Metropolitan Police Service’s new two-tier framework by providing collaborative support rooted in lived experience, ensuring community voices inform policing policy. He has also worked alongside HMI Probation Inspectorate on their youth Out-of-Court Resolutions work, helping shape more inclusive, responsive approaches for young people navigating the justice system.
Eleazar Zadok
Eleazar is a Lived Experience Consultant at UserVoice, joining the organisation in 2024 after his release from prison. He brings valuable insight from his own journey through the criminal justice system, which he now uses to support meaningful change in services for others navigating similar paths.
Eleazar is a key part of the London Public Patient Voice (PPV) project, working across prisons, police custody suites, court custody, and community settings. He helps gather and represent the voices of people in contact with the justice system, particularly around their experiences of healthcare, mental health, and diversion services. This work informs detailed insight reports and co-produced recommendations for NHS and health and justice leaders across London.
In addition to his core role, Eleazar has worked directly with young people to explore their experiences of Out-of-Court Resolutions, helping shape more responsive and youth-informed approaches. He is especially passionate about youth justice, trauma and mental health in young Black men, and improving rehabilitation pathways for people in prison and those re-entering the community.
Eleazar works alongside a team of consultants, all with lived experience, and is committed to using that experience to challenge systems, promote equity, and amplify the voices too often overlooked.