Board Members
Lewis Benjamin (Chair)
Assistant Chief Constable, Warwickshire Police
Lewis Benjamin was appointed Assistant Chief Constable on
7 August 2006 joining Warwickshire from the Metropolitan Police.
He is the Force lead for Local Policing and Judicial Services and is also the Force lead on Diversity and Safer Neighbourhoods. Local Policing includes responsibility for all neighbourhood and response policing in the five boroughs/districts in Warwickshire.
During his service with the Metropolitan Police he was head of Specialist Crime Intelligence in the Covert Operations Command. Primarily using covert intelligence to investigate organised crime networks.
He has spent the majority of his 20 years service in CID including postings investigating terrorism, serial sexual offences, robbery and homicide. He has extensive experience as a SIO and a D/Supt leading 5 major incident teams.
Lewis holds National Portfolios involving Criminal Network Mapping, Development of Confidential Units and aspects of Covert Policing.
Married with two daughters, Lewis is a former rugby player who still enjoys watching the game. He also likes reading historical biographies and running.
Keith Bristow
Chief Constable, Warwickshire Police
Keith Bristow has been the Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police since July 2006. He holds the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Criminal Use of Firearms Portfolio and he will take the Chair of the G8 Law Enforcement Group from November 2006. Keith joined West Mercia Constabulary as a Police Cadet, serving through to the rank of Chief Inspector in a range of uniform and CID posts. In 1997, he was appointed as Staff Officer to the President of ACPO. In 1998, he was seconded to the West Midlands Police Murder Investigation Team as a Senior Investigating Officer. He subsequently transferred to West Midlands Police as a Superintendent performing the roles of Operations Manager and Director of Intelligence, and as a Chief Superintendent, he was the Commander of an Operational Command Unit in Birmingham.
In 2003, Keith was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief Constable and appointed as UK Director of the National Criminal Intelligence Service with responsibility for Regional Intelligence Units and national and international intelligence on threats such as drugs, firearms and kidnaps. In addition to these responsibilities, in 2004 he was appointed as Director of Human Resources.
In 2005, Keith was appointed as the Deputy Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police. Keith has command experience of firearms operations, sieges, public disorder and major events including international football and cricket. His international experience includes working with the Rwandan Police and leading the UK Law Enforcement Delegation to G8 through three Presidencies.
Keith completed the Police Service ‘Accelerated Promotion Scheme’ in 1995 and the ‘Strategic Command Course’ in 2001. He has also completed the European Police College ‘Top Senior Police Officers’ Course’, the National School of Government ‘Top Management Programme’, and the Birmingham University ‘Malvern Programme’, and he is a graduate of Common Purpose. He holds a Masters Degree in Organisational Development, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management Studies and a Diploma in Applied Criminology.
David Robinson
Chief Crown Prosecutor, Warwickshire Crown Prosecution Service
(awaiting photo)
David Robinson was appointed acting Chief Crown Prosecutor for Warwickshire Crown Prosecution Service in October 2008. David began his career as a police officer before being called to the Bar in 1993 when he joined what was then the Severn-Thames Crown Prosecution Service. After working as a Senior Crown Prosecutor, David joined CPS Berkshire in 2000 as Head of a Crown Court Unit and spent some time undertaking secondments as Special Casework Lawyer and as Head of Crown Court Advocacy. In 2005 David was appointed Head of Performance for Thames Valley CPS.
Kelvin Launchbury
Area Director, Her Majesty's Courts Service Warwickshire
Kelvin has held a number of administrative and managerial positions in the Crown and County Courts and in 1990 moved to Birmingham Courts Administrator’s Office and then to the Circuit Administrator’s Office. He became Head of Customer Service Unit, Court Service HQ in 1992 and then Court Business Manager, SE Circuit Office in 1993.
Kelvin became Court Manager at Reading County Court in 1994 and then Court Manager, Reading Crown Court in 1996.
He joined Transforming the Crown Court Project in 1998, then became Court Manager, Court of Protection in 1999. Appointed as Head of Service Delivery, Public Guardianship Office 2000 and then Head of Tribunal for Users Programme in 2002 and became CJS Ineffective Trials PSA Delivery Manager in 2003.
Kelvin took up post as Area Director, Warwickshire in 2004 and appointed as Area Director for Birmingham, Coventry Solihull and Warwickshire in 2006.
Diane Johnson
Head of Warwickshire Youth Offending Service
Diane was appointed as Head of Warwickshire Youth Offending Service in August 1998 when the multi-agency YOS was being established to implement youth justice reforms created by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
Prior to this Diane had worked as a social worker and manager in several local authority Social Services Departments. Her responsibilities have incorporated all aspects of children’s social services and have always included youth justice as an area of special interest and expertise.
Multi-agency working has been a feature of Diane’s work since her experience of working in a multi- agency team in Northamptonshire in the late 80s. Since then she has been committed to the development of multi-agency services as the most effective model for meeting the needs of vulnerable groups in our communities.
In addition to her Social Work qualification, Diane has formally gained qualifications in youth justice, groupwork, family therapy and business management.
Liz Stafford
Chief Officer, Warwickshire Probation Service
Liz Stafford is Chief Officer of Warwickshire Probation Area. She currently chairs the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements Strategic Board and is a Director of the Warwickshire Race Equality Partnership (WREP).
Liz Stafford was appointed Chief Officer in 2001. Prior to that she was an Assistant Chief Officer at West Midlands Probation Area. She has a background in local government, research and originally trained as a teacher.
Liz Stafford was appointed to the Parole Board in July 2006.
Richard Lyttle
Programme Director, Warwickshire Justice Centre Programme
Richard Lyttle is responsible for the management of the Warwickshire Justice Centre Programme which is a unique multi agency programme of projects to deliver local joined up justice services through co-locating and integrating agencies in Justice Centres in Warwickshire. The programme team was awarded the Office of Government and Commerce Delivery Team Award 2005 for the successful completion of the first centre in Nuneaton.
Richard has considerable knowledge and experience of criminal justice services, change and programme management. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal for his achievements in operational and community policing.