John Birkenshaw commented: "I am extremely proud to become the new Chairman of Raid-control and very excited about tackling the challenges that lie ahead. The initiative has gone from strength to strength under the chairmanship of Alan Townsend and is now recognised as a national standard for reducing commercial robbery. Alan's ability and determination have got the initiative to where it is today and I aim to build upon what has been achieved to ensure that Raid-control continues to flourish."
Councillor Les Carter, Leeds City Council's executive board member responsible for community safety, said: "We believe in protecting our small retailers and communities by
identifying what works to reduce crime. I'm delighted with John's appointment. It underlines our commitment to tackling this sort of crime."
At the Raid-control inaugural dinner on 6 April tributes were paid to outgoing Chairman Alan Townsend, Crime Prevention Co-ordinator at the Metropolitan Police Service Flying Squad, who was presented with an award for "significantly reducing robbery in high risk areas through developing and promoting the Raid-control concept". He also received a Commendation from the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, which is rarely bestowed upon an officer from another police force.
Alan Townsend commented: "During the course of my career I have worked with many groups that proclaim the ethos of working in partnership, however, none surpass the true partnership status of the 43 members from those organisations that make up Raid-control. It has been a great pleasure to chair Raid-control and I am confident that John will continue to drive the initiative to greater success in the future. I look forward to continuing my involvement as President of the initiative."