Mick Creedon

Michael Francis C. "Mick" Creedon (born June 1958) was the Chief Constable of Derbyshire Police for ten years, at which force he had spent a significant proportion of his police career. He performs a number of national roles for the National Police Chiefs' Council (as he did for its predecessor organisation, the Association of Chief Police Officers). He is most noted for being the nominal head of Operation Herne, the Metropolitan Police's investigation into its Special Branch undercover unit, the Special Demonstration Squad. He retired in May 2017.
==Police Career==
* Having graduated from the University of Manchester, Creedon became a police officer in 1980 at the age of 22. He spent the first part of his career serving with Leicestershire Police, mainly as a Detective, being promoted to Detective Sergeant in 1985, and then Detective Inspector in 1991. Creedon's key investigations at this force included an escape by helicopter from HMP Gartree in 1987, and one from 1988-1991 into the systemic child abuse in care homes under the control of sex offender Frank Beck (see below). 
* From 1993-1996, he was a Detective Inspector working on volume and major crime investigations. In 1996, he was appointed Chief Inspector for Partnership & Performance. In 1997, he became Detective Chief Inspector and a Senior Investigation Officer for homicide and organised crime investigations in Leicestershire, being subsequently raised to rank of Detective Superintendent. From August 1998 to September 2000 he was named in media reports as the man overseeing a significant number of murder investigations in Leicester, a several of which appeared to have connections with organised crime.Undercover Research Group, search of media reports in local newspapers, conducted 21 March 2016. In this capacity he served under ACC David Coleman and Chief Constable David Wyrko, receiving a commendation for his investigation which led to the conviction of child killer Gary Davis.'Murder team praised for bringing killer to justice', Leicester Mercury, 23 September 2000 (accessed 21 March 2016). He was also commended for leading the investigation that saw the conviction of double murderer Alun Kyte and the examination of claims that Kyte was a serial killer.Tony Thompson, Trail of murdered women is feared to be work of Rippers on the loose, The Observer, 11 March 2001 (accessed via Nexis).Elaine Galloway, 'Police honoured after murder probe success', Leicester Mercury, 7 August 2001 (accessed via Nexis).
* From 2000, he was promoted again, to territorial policing, as Chief Superintendent for the 'South Area' of Leicestershire. His final posting with Leicestershire police was as Assistant Chief Constable for Crime and Operations circa April 2001S Brewis, New role for senior policeman, Leicester Mercury, 7 April 2001 (accessed via Nexis).N. Dowling, Senior police post remains vacant', Leicester Mercury, 11 April 2001 (accessed via Nexis). Creedon replaces on a temporary basis the previous ACC (Operations) Chris Gray, who had left to become Deputy Chief Constable of Gloucestershire; other newspaper reports from November 2002 indicate that he remains 'Acting ACC' for the duration. - as such he is also referred to as the Head of Specialist Crime Department.Mick Creedon, biography, Department of Criminology, University of Leicester, undated (accessed 28 January 2016).Derbyshire Police, Chief Officers, www.derbyshire.police.uk, undated (accessed 8 January 2016). In November 2002, he defended a report that showed stop and search among Asian and Afro-Caribbean populations had increased, saying they were based on intelligence and not race.Paul Kane, 'Stop and search defended', Leicester Mercury, 8 November 2002 (accessed via Nexis). In February 2003, he was working on drug related issues.Ciaran Fagan, 'Help us to win the war over drugs, say police', Leicester Mercury, 3 February 2003 (accessed via Nexis).
* Having completed the Strategic Command Course in 2002, he was subsequently appointed Assistant Chief Constable for Operations at Derbyshire Police in April 2003.'Master Detective Takes Leading Role', Derby Evening Telegraph, 18 February 2003 (accessed via Nexis)> By June 2003 he was campaigning against ball bearing guns.Children urged to hand in 'guns', Yorkshire Post, 30 June 2003 (accessed 29 January 2016).On alert after kids' shooting, Ripley & Heanor News, 19 June 2003 (accessed 29 January 2016). He described this role as: 'again responsible for all crime and operations, with an overall strategic lead for the East Midlands region for serious and organised crime and multi-force specialist covert operations'.
* At Derbyshire, he again served under Chief Constable David ColemanArchive of Derbyshire Police website at Archive.org, 29 December 2003 (accessed 20 January 2016). (see below for organisational structure for the Operations division during Creedon's time at Derbyshire). Newspaper articles from the time show he was engaged in campaigns against air guns, drug dealers and burglaries, introducing amnesties on weapons, as well overseeing several manhunts for prisoners absconding from Sudbury Open Prison.
* In October 2006, he was appointed the first National Co-ordinator for Serious and Organised Crime for the Association of Chief Police Officers, with rank of Deputy Chief Constable.'Police to get new bosses', Nottingham Evening Post, 1 November 2016 (accessed via Nexis). As such he 'led the development of a national network of collaborative multi-force and multi-agency Regional Intelligence Units'; and 'instigated the mapping of Organised Crime Groups across all forces.'Speakers: Mick Creedon, Blue Light Innovation, 2015 (accessed 21 March 2016).
* On 1 October 2007, he returned to Derbyshire Police as Chief Constable. In 2013 his tenure was extended until November 2016 by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire, Alan Charles.Derbyshire Chief Constable's appointment extended, Derbybshire PCC, 23 Jan 2013 (accessed 20 January 2016).
Creedon stated of work at Derbyshire Police:
::Over recent years I have led the development of specialist teams to address specific complex policing issues... These units include:
::* The East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU)Under Creedon, Derbyshire played the lead in the formation of this major crimes unit in 2011 (it is also referred to as EMSOU-MC or East Midlands Major Crime Unit); it was based in Derby under Derbyshire officer DCS Andy Hough, and combined staff and officers from the major crime units of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, partly as a way of dealing with government cost cutting exercises. See Five police forces team up to investigate most serious crime in region, Derby Telegraph, 13 September 2011 (accessed 21 March 2016); and Andy moves on after key role in solving city's shocking cases, Derby Telegraph, 11 June 2011 (accessed 21 March 2016). - a multi force and multi agency unit providing covert and specialist policing to address serious and organised crime.
::* The East Midlands Counter Intelligence Unit (EMCTIU) - similar to the above and providing specialist support to the regional forces and the national effort to counter the terrorist threat to the UK.
::* The Regional Intelligence Units - a unit based in each of the 9 policing regions of the UK and providing the capacity and capability to work across force and agency boundaries combating serious and organised crime.
::* The Regional Asset Recovery Teams - units again based on the ACPO policing regions and providing specialist money laundering and criminal confiscation resources.
Creedon retired from the police at the end of May 2017, following 37 years of service.Isaac Crowson, Derbyshire's top cop Mick Creedon is to retire, Derby Telegraph, 23 January 2017 (accessed 17 April 2017).Office of the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Commissioner starts his search for Derbyshire's next Chief Constable, Derbyshire-PCC.gov.uk, 23 February 2017 (accessed 17 April 2017).Adam Higgins, Retiring police chief’s charity cycling tour, Glossop Chronicle, 16 May 2017 (accessed 12 October 2017).
==Child abuse investigations (1988-1991)==
From 1988-1991, Creedon was part of Leicestershire police investigations of systematic sexual abuse of children in care homes under the control of Leicestershire County Council official Frank Beck. Beck was a prolific offender who was arrested on 14 April 1990 for offences dating back to the 1970, and was convicted in November 1991.For a summary of this case see the Wikipedia profile at Frank Beck (sex offender).
Tied into this investigation is Labour MP and peer Greville Janner, who has been alleged to have been involved in the abuse of children and who was named as an abuser by a witness at Beck's trial.Contemporary newspaper accounts of the trial can be found at Full set of reports from the 1991 Frank Beck Trial #1, Desiring Progress(blog of Ian Pace) 24 May 2014 (accessed 29 January 2016). Janner, MP for Leicester West at the time, is said to have been protected by a high-level cover-up, having been subject to three separate investigations into allegations against him, all of which came to nothing.See, (i) Dani Garavelli, DPP guilty of sending wrong message, The Scotsman, 19 April 2015 (accessed 29 January 2016);(ii) Jay Rayner, I saw up close how an establishment closed ranks over the Janner affair, The Guardian, 19 April 2015 (accessed 29 January 2016); and (iii) Cahal Milmo, Frank Beck: The convicted paedophile and the claims first made during his trial, The Independent, 16 April 2015 (accessed 29 January 2016). 
It is known that Janner was questioned by the police in the aftermath of the trial (one of three such times he was questioned), but having provided a no comment interview he was released without charge. Subsequently a public inquiry into Beck's activities was set up under Andrew Kirkwood.Andrew Kirkwood, The Leicestershire Inquiry 1992 LeicsFOI.org.uk (accessed 30 April 2016). It is believed that Janner was included in evidence given to the Kirkwood inquiry into the Beck abuse, but that evidence has been kept secret.Daniel Boffey, Greville Janner affair: Children’s homes inquiry evidence ‘must be released’, The Guardian, 18 April 2015 (accessed 29 January 2016). The officer leading the investigation, to whom Creedon answered, was Det. Insp. Kelvin Ashby.Jack O'Sullivan, [Children’s home staff charged in abuse inquiry], The Independent, 24 June 1991. Article provided at the Desiring Progress blog. Both he and Mick Creedon have stated that they were forced to stop their 1991 investigation into Janner at the time by senior officers, including then Chief Constable Michael Hurst.Graham Grant, Police in new Janner probe: Labour peer 'abused boy on trip to Scotland' as pressure grows to charge him despite his ill health, Daily Mail Online, 8 June 2015 (accessed 26 January 2016).Sam Greenhill, Sam Marsden & Rosie Taylor, Lord Janner was still director of his firm THREE WEEKS ago, it emerges as damning dossier alleges police chief allowed peer to molest young boys, Daily Mail Online, 2 May 2015 (accessed 26 January 2016). In particular, Creedon is said to have been told by a Superintendent - apparently passing on a message from higher up - that there would be no search of Janner's home or offices, and that he would be interviewed by appointment only. Creedon also said that he believed there were lines of inquiry that should have been followed up.Chris Greenwood,Police 'told to limit abuse probe into MP': Derbyshire Chief Constable claims he was forbidden to arrest Labour man or search his home when he worked as a detective, Daily Mail Online, 26 September 2014 (accessed 26 January 2016).In 1990, the senior officers of Leicestershire police were Chief Constable Michael Hirst, Deputy Chief Constable Peter Blaker and Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Cairns - see Keith Vaz MP, Debate in House of Commons, 23 July 1990, archived at TheyWorkForYou.com (accessed 29 January 2016). In March 1990, it was Hirst, and ACC Tony Butler - see Tom Symonds & Noel Titheradge, Lord Janner: No 'cover-up' in decision not to arrest him, BBC News Online, where he is said to be the officer most likely to have made the decision not to have Janner arrested in 1991 as the senior officer overseeing the investigation into Frank Beck at the time, but also that the law would not have allowed him to do it; he also denied there was outside pressure applied on him in that decision.
In 2015, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said they would be interviewing Creedon in relation to his 1991 investigation into Janner.Martin Naylor, Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon to be quizzed over historical Lord Janner investigation, Derbyshire Telegraph, 1 May 2015 (accessed 5 January 2016). Janner passed away in December 2015.
==National investigations and reviews==
In June 2010, Creedon was asked by the Criminal Cases Review Commission to review the convictions of five men in prison for the 2002 murder of Kevin Nunes.Judgment of 4 July 2012 in case of Joof and others v The Crown, Court of Appeal, Royal Courts of Justice (accessed 29 January 2016). Oversight of the investigation passed to the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2011, with Creedon continuing to lead.Senior Cops Probed Over Gangland Murder Case, Sky News 24 December 2011 (accessed 29 January 2016). In 2012, the men's convictions were quashed as unsafe due to concerns about a key witness in the trial. Creedon's investigation then extended to look at the actions of Staffordshire Police who conducted the murder investigation.David Rose, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2477601/How-did-gangland-hit-trigger-criminal-probe-Chief-Constable-charge-police-ethics-The-astonishing-supergrass-scandal-engulfing-UKs-senior-officers.html How did gangland hit trigger criminal probe into Chief Constable in charge of police ethics? The astonishing supergrass scandal that is engulfing UK's most senior officers], Daily Mail Online, 27 October 2013, (accessed 29 January 2016). His report, submitted in November 2014, included a recommendation that misconduct charges be brought against Janet Sawyer, Chief Constable of Staffordshire.Kevin Nunes murder case: Staffordshire police chief in the clear after probe, The Express And Star, 18 March 2015 (accessed 29 January 2016). However, to date (March 2016) this does not appear to have resulted in any action been taken.Kevin Nunes: Top police officer not yet in the clear, The Express And Star, 30 July 2015 (accessed 29 January 2016).
Other investigations and reviews Creedon has lead include:
* 2003: manslaughter of PC Ged Walker (Nottinghamshire).
* 2004: the killings of Joan and John Stirland (Lincolnshire) - in August Creedon is asked to look into intelligence sharing failures between Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire police forces following the gangland revenge killing of this elderly couple. His report, known as Operation Melody I, was completed in December 2004.Nick Britten, Police forces to be investigated over 'revenge murders', 27 December 2004 (accessed 21 March 2016).Independent Police Complaints Commission, Press Pack issued at IPCC Press Conference in Nottingham, 22 February 2008 (accessed 21 March 2016).
* 2007: murder of Rhys Jones (Merseyside).
==Policing protests==
Derbyshire has been the site of numerous campaigns and protests, which as a senior officer Creedon would have had a role in overseeing. His name is mentioned in media reports about these protest, indicating he had active knowledge of the operations. More importantly, under the Regulation of Investigatory Power Act 2000 responsibility for the management and authorisation of undercovers police officers and informants would have fallen to Creedon who was ACC Operations for Derbyshire at the time.Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and ACPO Guidance, the powers of authorising officer for an undercover operation was delegated to someone of Assistant Chief Constable level, unless in an emergency when it was could be of lower rank. Where a deployment was 12 months or more, then it would have required to the senior authorising officer to sign off, which was for most police forces the Chief Constable. See for example, College of Policing, Authorised Professional Practice: Covert Policing, 2016 (accessed 2 April 2016). Police practice as understood by the Undercover Research Group indicates that it would have normally have been delegated to the ACC Operations, such as when ACC Ian Ackerley of Nottinghamshire Police was designated the authorising officer for undercover Mark Kennedy's operation in relation to the Ratcliffe-on-Soar arrests; see, Sir Christopher Rose, Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station Protest: Inquiry into Disclosure, Crown Prosecution Service, December 2011 (accessed 2 April 2016), page 7-8, paragraph 10.
Many of the protests in Derbyshire and associated campaign groups were infiltrated by undercover police officer Mark Kennedy, based in Nottingham, and to a lesser degree Lynn Watson (based in West Yorkshire).
===Earth First! Summer Gathering===
Derbyshire, under Creedon's time as a chief police officer, was the site of a number of Earth First! Summer Gatherings including:Previous Gatherings, Earth First! Summer Gathering (website), 2015 (accessed 5 January 2016).
* 2005, 17-21 August at Ashbourne.Earth First! Summer Gathering, Veggies CalendA/R, 2005 (accessed 5 January 2016).Earth First! summer gathering 17-21 August 2005, EarthFirst.org.uk (website), 2005 (accessed 5 January 2016). It is known that undercover police officers Lynn WatsonABC Anarres, ‘Three undercover political Police unmasked as infiltrators into UK Anarchist, Anti-Fascist and Climate Justice movements’, Indymedia UK, 19/01/11 (accessed 10 May 2014). and Mark KennedyUndercover Research Group: conversation with 'Mark Pointer', 29 February 2016. were present at this gathering. Creedon as ACC (Operations) is likely to have been the officer who gave authorisation for the two undercovers to be present.
* 2010, 4-9 August at Ashbourne: police undercover Mark Kennedy was involved in setting up this gathering, though he had left the police by this stage to work for private intelligence firm Global Open. Among his activities there he reported back on the UK Animal Rights Gathering which he had visited the previous month.Undercover Research Group, Mark Kennedy: A chronology of his activities, Powerbase, undated (accessed 5 January 2016).
===G8 Protests (2005)===
In 2005, Derby hosted a G8 meeting of Environment and Development ministers near the city as part of a series of ministerial meetings in the run up to the main G8 Summit. The Dissent! network called for the 'Derby M17' day of protest against the meetings.G8 Environment Ministers' meeting protest, Derby, Earth First! (website), 2005 (accessed 2 January 2016). Includes text of the Dissent! call-out. This was met with a large police operation costing £2 million, with contingents from ten separate police forces drafted in (involving a total of deployment of around 2000 officers). Protests in the city heavily curtailed.Indymedia carried various reports in the run up and reports from the day. See(i) 'M hor', Scotsman Reports Bans Requested For G8 Protest in Derby on 17th March, Indymedia UK, 18 March 2016 (accessed 3 February 2016); (ii) Tash Lodge, G8 Environment ministers Meeting at Derby Piccys Pt2, Indymedia UK, 18 March 2016 (accessed 3 February 2016); (iii) Tash Lodge, G8 Environment ministers Meeting at Derby Piccys Pt1, Indymedia UK, 18 March 2016 (accessed 3 February 2016)Paul Brown, 2,000 police close school and throw five-mile ring of steel round village in £2m top security alert for environment meeting, The Guardian, 18 March 2005 (accessed 3 February 2016) Creedon appeared to be overseeing the police operation,Police ready for trouble at G8 curtain-raiser, The Scotsman, 17 March 2005 (accessed 3 February 2016) which was criticised as an over-reaction.Nick Brittan, G8 police outnumber protesters by 10 to one, The Telegraph, 18 March 2005 (accessed 3 February 2016)
Creedon justified the level of policing on the grounds it acted to deter those wanting to cause trouble:G8 Summit, DerbyGripe.co.uk, undated (accessed 6 February 2016 - material originally sourced from Derby Evening Telegraph).
:: We've had contact from a number of the more radical groups who, due to our policing, decided not to come. There have been groups of people who came here by train, had a look, and decided that, because of the police presence, there was no point in them being here. Our intention was never to stop protesters coming. It was to say, 'If you're going to have your protest, there are certain ways you're going to have to do it'. By putting out a strong presence, by being reasonably robust and by telling people what we'd planned, it's helped us to turn away those few people who did plan to cause trouble.
===Red White and Blue festival (2007-2009)===
The Red White and Blue festival was the annual get-together of the British National Party and brought together many from across the right-wing spectrum. Moving around the country, it often attracted protest from left wing / anti-fascist groups. From 2007 to 2009 the festival took place at Denby in Derbyshire, before being cancelled in 2010 - having been met with heavy protests each time.Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival, Indymedia UK, undated (accessed 6 February 2016). This link has a list of reports relating to protest at the event over several years. Press articles from the time indicate that Creedon, as Chief Constable, took a hands-on role regarding the event. In 2008 policing costs for it were £1/4 millionA contemporary newspaper report says 250 police were deployed, and the operation was under ACC Peter Goodman - see Chris Mallett, Left-wing activists clash with riot police at anti-bnp protest, Derby Evening Telegraph, 18 August 2008 (accessed 27 March 2016). and saw numerous arrests of protestors, while in 2009 costs rose to £1/2 million.£250,000 cost of protest over BNP festival, Derby Telegraph, 1 December 2008 (accessed 6 February 2016).Press Association Anti-fascist demonstrators march in protest against BNP festival, The Guardian, 15 August 2009 (accessed 6 February 2016).Police chief in talks on BNP festival, Derby Telegraph, 28 July 2009 (accessed 6 January 2016).Relief as BNP pulls plug on annual Red, White and Blue festival Derby Telegraph, 2 June 2010 (accessed 6 January 2016).
Mark Kennedy is known to have been part of an anti-fascist group which took part in protests against the festival in 2008, though he failed to turn up on the day. Thirty-three of the anti-fascists were arrested. It is subsequently thought by some involved that he may have been in the police helicopter used on the day, identifying activists as the police knowledge of individuals was too good to have come from elsewhere.Undercover Research Group: conversation with an anti-fascist activist, 2015. 33 anti-fascists were arrested, but only one was charged - see: M. Testa, Militant Anti-Fascism: A Hundred Years of Resistance, 2014, AK Press. The use of the Derbyshire police helicopter is noted in several press reports from the time - Shaun Jepson, 'Helicopter is potent weapon for Derbyshire police', Derbyshire Evening Telegraph, 30 December 2008 (accessed via Nexis). The British National Party published photographs of a protest at a 2009 council meeting where a licence to go ahead was granted to festival which show Kennedy present as a protestor.Exclusive: Police’s Undercover Operations Help Organise Anti-British National Party Communists, British National Party (website), undated (accessed 6 February 2016). Note, the article mis-attributes the roles of various anti-fascist groups on the left.
===Shipley anti-coal mining protest (2008)===
2008 and 2009 saw sustained protests at Shipley (near Derby) against an open-cast coal mine, including a prolonged occupation near the site and several incidences of blockades and direct action by Earth First! activistsEarth First!, Activists Interrupt Coal Supply Destined for Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Indymedia UK, 26 October 2009 (accessed 12 February 2016). as well as a site occupation.Notts IMC, Coal On Hold - Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied, Indymedia UK (Notts Indymedia), 18 June 2008 (accessed 12 February 2016).Prospect House, Shipley, archive of stories on the Shipley open-cast coal mine squat from schNEWS, undated, accessed 12 February 2016). In particular, Derbyshire Police were involved in the eviction of Shipley Lodge, which had been squatted as part of the protests, at the cost of £58,000 to the police, though subsequent court cases collapsed due to lack of evidence.Notts IMC, Protests continue at Shipley open cast site, Indymedia UK, 3 November 2008 (accessed 12 February 2016). It has been confirmed to the Undercover Research Group that Mark Kennedy played a role in this campaign and would have known of plans of activists through his connections with the Nottingham environmentalist scene. This included him driving people for an night-time occupation of the site, at which security and police were found to be already present.Undercover Research Group: conversation with W, 29 March 2016.
===The targeting of environmentalists (2006 onwards)===
For several years, starting in February 2006, Mark Kennedy attended a series of social events based around whisky-tasting at the house of a prominent environmentalist in Bradwell, Derbyshire. At one of these, which took place after the 2006 Climate Camp, Kennedy made reference to discussions he claimed to have had with European activists who wanted to organise riots across Europe. The suggested plan was that when a riot broke out in one place, it would use a pre-agreed symbol that would act as a signal to people in other countries to do similar riots. He presented it as if he was bringing the idea to the UK, and referred another activist in Europe he had supposedly been talking about this to as 'one of his', giving the impression he had somehow been involved in her becoming involved in radical politics.
The idea was considered unusual as it was not the sort of protest the individuals present, mostly from the Earth First! network, were in engaged in organising. Likewise, it was obvious to them that riots were not events that could be created to order, let alone at short notice, but happened spontaneously due to mass dissatisfaction. At the time, it was put this down to naïveté or wishful thinking on Kennedy's part.Undercover Research Group: conversations several individuals who attended the social events, March 2016.
Given its unusualness, it was thought by some in hindsight, that Kennedy was acting as an agent provocateur and that he may have been specifically instructed to have the conversation. If this was the situation, it would have needed authorisation from an officer of the appropriate rank, including from from Derbyshire police - in this case likely to have been Creedon. In any case, the presence of Kennedy at the private house of a protestor would itself have needed some form of approval from Derbyshire police, if not formally authorised under RIPA.Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. See also, Sir Christopher Rose Ratcliffe-on-Soar Protests: Inquiry into Disclosure, Crown Prosecution Service, December 2011, where authorisation for Kennedy's role in the Ratcliffe-on-Soar action was given by someone of Assistant Chief Constable rank.
===Rolls Royce protests===
The Rolls Royce plant at Raynesway, Derbyshire was the subject of protests over many years due to that particular site's connections with the Trident nuclear weapons programme. This included a 2005 blockade by Trident Ploughshares, which lead to a Section 14A order (under the Public Order Act 1986), at the request of the Chief Constable, restricting the right to protest.Alan 'Tash' Lodge, Rolls-Royce Raynesway, Derby. Action, Protest, Blockade, Indymedia UK, 24 October 2005 (accessed 6 February 2016).Police to limit planned protest, BBC News Online, 21 October 2005 (accessed 6 February 2016). The order and justification can be seen here: Council Cabinet, Report of the Director of Corporate Services: Section 14a Public Order Act 1986, Derby City Council, 12 October 2005 (accessed 3 February 2016). Protests continued into at least 2011.Trident is 'terrible waste of money', say protesters, Derby Telegraph / This Is Derbyshire, 22 March 2011 (accessed 21 March 2016). It has not as yet been ascertained if any undercovers were present, though undercover officer Lynn Watson had been part of anti-Trident protests elsewhere from early on in her infiltration.
==National policing roles==
Since 1999, Creedon has been the lead on a number of arreas of specific 'national and regional reponsibility' for the Association of Chief Police Officers, namely:Eric Lea, Response to FOIA request of Peter Salmon, Derbyshire Police Freedom of Information Office via WhatDoTheyKnow.com, 13 June 2016 (accessed 20 August 2016).
* 1999-2000: lead, Sexual Offences Review group
* 2001-2002: lead, Forensic Science Training User group
* 2002-2006: lead, Footwear intelligence
* 2003-2006: lead, Distraction burglary; this included overseeing 'Operation Liberal', the response by all the regional police forces to this form of crime.
* 2004 -2010: lead, Kidnap and Extortion
* 2005: lead, Financial Intelligence & the Proceeds of Crime
* 2008: lead, Investigative Interviewing
* 2009: Deputy Chair, ACPO Crime Business Area
* 2010: lead, Serious and Organised Crime
* 2011: lead for the National Crime Agency.
He continued to hold many of these positions when, in 2014, as Chief Constable of Derbyshire, Creedon was described as:Helena Hickey, Derbyshire's chief officer will remain in position until November 2016, Police Oracle, 16 Dec 2014 (accessed 20 January 2016).
:: national policing lead for serious and organised crime and leads the development of regional organised crime units across the country. He is also the national policing lead for financial investigation and the recovery of criminal assets.
In this role he is likely to work closely with the former National Coordinator for Domestic Extremism, Chris Greany, who in 2015 moved to being the National Coordinator for Economic Crime.
Creedon has held a number of roles for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). In particular, he was National ACPO portfolio and policy lead for Proceeds of Crime and Asset Recovery (by late 2007Proceeds of Crime Update Conference, 16 January 2008 (accessed 21 March 2016). and in 2015), for Kidnap and Extortion (2006Anita Rice, Captive market, BBC News Magazine, 31 January 2006 (accessed 29 January 2016). - 2009East Midlands ACPO Officers National and Regional Portfolios, Derbyshire Police, July 2009 (accessed 21 March 2016).) and for Investigative Interviewing (September 2008Carol Jenkins, Watching the detectives, The Investigator, 18 March 2009 (accessed 21 March 2016). - 2015/2016).
Through his national roles, Creedon has a close working relationship with Jon Murphy. Murphy was Chief Constable of Merseyside Police where he had served under both Norman Bettison and Bernard Hogan-Howe. He was also ACPO spokesperson on undercover policingPaul Lewis, Rob Evans & Rowenna Davies, Undercover policeman married activist he was sent to spy on, The Guardian, 19 January 2011 (accessed 21 March 2016). and head of its Crime Business area.Keith Bristow, The work of the UK Border Agency and Border Force, National Crime Agency (letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee), 1 May 2012 (accessed 21 March 2016).
In particular, Murphy was National Policing Lead for the Crime Business Area, while Creedon held the same role for Serious and Organised Crime.See, for example: HM Government, Serious and Organised Crime Local Profiles: A Guide, November 2014 (accessed 21 March 2016). The two men were instrumental in setting up the National Crime Agency's Intelligence Hub in 2012,Theresa May, Police reform: Home Secretary's speech to ACPO conference, 22 May 2012 (accessed 21 March 2016). which was run by Keith Bristow, Director General of the NCA.Alan Travis, Warwickshire police chief to head national crime agency, The Guardian, 10 October 2011 (accessed 21 March 2016). The Intelligence Hub draws together intelligence from many different law enforcement agencies to draw up the National Strategic Assessment, the National Control Strategy and the National Intelligence Requirements. As such it has considerable power in setting policing agendas across the UK.National Crime Agency, Annual Report and Accounts 2013/2014, 27 November 2014 (accessed 21 March 2016).
Murphy was also involved in board level meetings of the NCA in 2012 while Creedon was 'National Policing Lead for the National Crime Agency Working Group'.Mick Creedon, Fighting serious organised crime, National Police Chiefs Council, 18 November 2013 (accessed 21 March 2016).
==Undercover policing==
In a letter of 2013, Creedon states that in his role as national led for serious and organised crime, he along with Jon Murphy and Commander Richard Martin are 'in effect the policing leads for setting the policy and direction of undercover policing'. He is also a member of the National Undercover Scrutiny Panel, an organisation set up by the College of Policing to react to the undercover policing scandal that began with the exposure of Mark Kennedy (see under National Undercover Scrutiny Panel for further details).
While it is unclear what role Creedon has with the National Undercover Working Group, he and the NUWG chair, Jon Boutcher, put forward the proposal that the NUWG acted as a clearing house for 'Rule 9' requests for information made to regional police forces by the Undercover Public Inquiry. They applied to the National Police Chiefs Council for a grant that would allow the NUWG to create a small team of people to facilitate this.Neil Hutchison, Briefing to Management Board on Public Inquiry into undercover policing, Public Inquiry Team, Metropolitan Police Service, 10 July 2016 (accessed 20 July 2016). This was successful and Creedon oversaw the creation of the NPCC UCPI National Coordination Team under Andy Ward, a recently retired Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.Mick Creedon, Report to the Chief Constable's Council: Undercover Policing Public Inquiry (UCPI) - NPCC Coordination Team & NPOIU Material, National Police Chiefs Council, 31 August 2016 (accessed via FOIA request Peter Salmon at WhatDoTheyKnow.com).
===Operations Herne & Elter===
* Main articles: Operation Herne, Operation Elter
In October 2011, the Metropolitan Police set up a review called Operation Soisson to investigate the growing scandal around undercover policing targeting protest groups, with a focus on the Special Demonstration Squad disbanded in 2008. The review team consisted of around 30 Metropolitan police officers under the guidance of Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mark Simmonds. In August 2012, as the scandal developed with more allegations emerging, DAC Pat Gallan took over as ACPO lead on the matter and the review was renamed Operation Herne.
In February 2013, Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe asked Creedon, as an outsider, to take over as head of the investigation, 'in order to provide independence and public confidence'.Rob Evans & Paul Lewis, Police spies: Met police calls in outsider to take over investigation, The Guardian, 11 Feb 2013, accessed 12 February 2016). Terms and conditions for the inquiry were agreed with Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackay, with Creedon appointing a Senior Investigating Officer (thought to be Det. Insp. Steve Craddock of Derbyshire PoliceUndercover officer denied immunity, Daily Express, 19 September 2013 (accessed 21 March 2016)) to oversee day-to-day matters.Report 2: Allegations of Peter Francis, Derbyshire Constabulary, March 2014 (accessed 12 February 2016).Operation Herne Terms of Reference, Metropolitan Police, undated (accessed 12 February 2016). Since Creedon took over, Operation Herne has been described as an investigation of Derbyshire Constabulary despite the majority of the officers being from the Metropolitan Police. (According the Terms of Reference, some roles would be carried out by staff from 'Derbyshire and the East Midlands Specialist Crime collaboration resources'.)
As lead officer, Creedon has final responsibility for the decisions on what Operation Herne publishes or withholds from the public domain.
thumb|frame|Coverage of the publication of Herne 3 [http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/415280/No-evidence-of-smear-campaign-against-the-Lawrence-family-says-top-policeman, Daily Express, 16 July 2013.]
Operation Herne under Creedon's authority published three public reports and a confidential one:Operation Herne, Derbyshire Constabulary, undated (accessed 12 February 2016).
* Report 1: Covert identities, 16 July 2013.Operation Herne Report, Metropolitan Police, 26 July 2013, accessed 12 February 2016).
* Report 2: Allegations of Peter Francis, March 2014.
* Report 3: SDS-Reporting - Mentions of Sensitive Campaigns, July 2014.
* Report 4: Operation Herne Update, restricted circulation, February 2015.Christopher Pitchford, Opening Remarks, Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing, July 2015, (accessed 12 February 2016).
Creedon's credibility was questioned following the release of the Report on Sensitive Campaigns, published on the same day as a related review by QC Mark Ellison, the Stephen Lawrence Independent Review. 
Creedon flatly denied that the SDS or the Metropolitan Police had a tactic to infiltrate or report on campaigns for justice, stating:Statement on behalf of Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon regarding Operation Herne, Metropolitan Police, 23 July 2014, (accessed 12 February 2016).
:: In that report I make clear that to date we have found no evidence that any SDS officer targeted or infiltrated any family member of any Justice Campaign, nor the Justice Campaign itself, and we can find no trace of any personal information about family members having been recorded by them.
However, Mark Ellison saw things differently and highlighted a number of highly significant issues which Operation Herne had brushed over. Based on the same evidence and interviews with largely the same police staff involved, he concluded that black justice campaigns had been spied upon. This included the family of Stephen Lawrence during the Macpherson Inquiry into the Metropolitan Police's failed murder investigation. These findings led to Home Secretary Theresa May establishing the Undercover Policing Inquiry under Christopher Pitchford,Theresa May, Home Secretary announces statutory inquiry into undercover policing, Home Office, 12 March 2015, accessed 12 February 2016). something that effectively discredited the efforts of Herne and lead it to being accused of being a whitewash.Paul Lewis, How the scandal of Scotland Yard's secret spy unit emerged, The Guardian, 6 March 2014 (accessed 21 March 2016).
The Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance, an umbrella group of those affected by undercover policing, have expressed their lack of confidence in Operation Herne and have been critical of Creedon's role there.Spycops Investigator Mick Creedon Retires, Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance, 2 February 2017 (accessed 12 October 2017). Other key players such as whistle-blower Peter Francis,Rob Evans, Undercover whistleblower Peter Francis gives evidence to official inquiry, The Guardian, 17 January 2014 (accessed 12 February 2016). and industrial blacklist campaignersRob Evans, More boycott internal police inquiry into undercover spies, The Guardian, 27 September 2013 (accessed 12 February 2016). have refuse to cooperated with the investigation under Creedon, arguing the Undercover Policing Inquiry was the more appropriate venue.
Creedon ran into further criticism for trying to 'strong-arm' Channel 4 into turning over material from an interview with former undercover turned whistle-blower Peter Francis, who was refusing to cooperate with Herne on the grounds it was not offering him immunity.Rob Evans, Police chief issues partial apology over Lawrence whistleblower documents, The Guardian, 14 January 2014 (accessed 12 February 2016).
Initially Operation Herne focused only on the Special Demonstration Squad and ignored the activities of the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (with the exception of the use of a dead child identity by NPOIU officer Rod Richardson (Operation Riverwood). During the process, Operation Herne acquired much of the archives of the NPOIU and uploaded them to their investigation system. Following the work of Mark Ellison, Creedon agreed to take on a fuller examination of the NPOIU in October 2015.Updated terms of reference for Operation Herne, Metropolitan Police Service, 15 October 2015 (accessed via UCPI.org.uk). This investigation, running parallel with Herne, was named Operation Elter. Responsibility for it passed to the National Police Chiefs Council in September 2016, and became independent of Operation Herne, albeit Creedon remained the lead officer for it.Mick Creedon, Updated Terms of Reference for Operation Elter, National Police Chiefs Council, 7 October 2016 (accessed via WhatDoTheyKnow.com). On Creedon's retirment, responsibility for Elter passed to Andy Cooke, Chief Constable of Merseyside.Brian Wilson, Response to FOIA request of Peter Salmon, Metropolitan Police Service, 9 August 2017 (accessed via WhatDoTheyKnow.com).
As part of Operation Herne, Mick Creedon also oversaw Operation Reuben, the investigation into police collusion with construction industry blacklists and for which he was putative author.Operation Reuben report (partially redacted), Metropolitan Police Service, 14 February 2016 (accessed via SpecialBranchFiles.uk). It has also been subject to similar criticism as Operaton Herne.Dónal O’Driscoll, Operation Reuben Unpicked: police involvement in blacklisting (part 2), SpecialBranchFiles.uk, June 2019 (accessed 11 October 2019).
==='Neither Confirm Nor Deny' ===
The group of women suing the Metropolitan Police over relationships with undercover police decided early on not to engage with Operation Herne. The women were being invited to open up about personal and intimate details to police about their relationships without the courtesy of getting the confirmation that the men had been undercover officers at the time.Harriet Wistrich, Letter to Mick Creedon, PoliceSpiesOutOfLives.org.uk, 12 August 2013 (accessed 21 March 2016).
When the Metropolitan Police was seeking to have the women's case struck out on the grounds they couldn't breach NCND, Creedon wrote a letter to the lawyer of the women to support this claim.Mick Creedon, Letter to Harriet Wistrich, PoliceSpiesOutOfLives.org.uk, 12 August 2013 (accessed 21 March 2016). Creedon's complicity in supporting NCND, and thus denying the women a chance of some kind justice, was another reason for the women not to co-operate with Operation Herne.Kevin Rawlinson, Undercover policing: officers' former lovers refuse to co-operate with inquiry, The Guardian, 30 August 2013 (accessed 12 February 2016).Correspondence released by Birnberg Peirce and partners, PoliceSpiesOutOfLives.org.uk, 30 August 2013 (accessed 21 March 2016). 
Creedon presented on the issue of NCND to the 4th meeting of the National Undercover Scrutiny Panel ('National Oversight Group') on 29 April 2016.Minutes of 4th Meeting of the National Oversight Group, College of Policing, 29 April 2015; produced at WhatDoTheyKnow.com in response to a FOIA request of Peter Salmon.
==Other policing matters==
In 2016, Derbyshire police discovered a Polish national who had been convicted of rape in that country in 2014 and added him the sex offenders list. However, due to community tensions around a large Polish community which had come to work in a warehouse distribution centre at Shirebrook, there were concerns by the police that there were 'real and grave risk' that the individual would be attacked if his conviction became public. Thus, the police force sought an injunction preventing the media from reporting on this. The courts rejected the application for failing to demonstrate there was a 'real and immediate risk' to the indivdiual. However, Creedon subsequently wrote to The Times to say that the application had been inappropriate, though well-intentioned given out-breaks of violence between British and Polish communities.David Brown, admit rapist secrecy was wrong, The Times (paywalled), 30 April 2016 (viewed 30 April 2016).
==Post police career==
On 30 August 2017, he founded Mick Creedon Consultancy Ltd, a management consultancy firm (company number 10939043). Mick Creedon holds 3/4 of the shares in the firm while his wife, Sally Jane Creedon, holds 1/4.It's registered address at 37 Clarence Street, Leicester is that of accountants Torr Waterfield Ltd. See Mick Creedon Consultancy Ltd, CompaniesHouse.gov.uk (accessed 11 October 2017).
==Affiliations==
* University of Manchester (graduate)
* Queen's Police Medal 2011.Queen's Police Medal (Queen's Birthday Honours), London Gazette, 11 June 2011 (accessed 26 January 2016).
* University of Leicester, Honorary Fellow.
* Invited speaker at the Tackling Organised Crime in Partnership Congress, 22-23 November 2006. Also listed as speakers were DAC Cressida Dick and a number of high level business executives.Tackling Crime, Professional Security Magazine Online, 27 September 2006 (accessed 29 January 2016).
==Notes==