| Honorific suffix | CVO QPM |
|---|---|
| Office | Chief Constable of British Transport Police |
| Predecessor | Paul Crowther Adrian Hanstock (Temporary Chief Constable, January 2021 to March 2021) |
| Term start | March 2021 |
| Office 1 | Deputy Assistant Commissioner Security and Protection Metropolitan Police |
| Predecessor 1 | Pat Gallan |
| Successor 1 | Barbara Gray |
| Term start 1 | December 2016 |
| Term end 1 | February 2021 |
| Birth name | Lucy Clare Copson |
| Birth date | December 1969 (age 56–57) |
| Birth place | Leicester, England |
| Alma mater | Sheffield Hallam University |
| Profession | Police officer |
Lucy Clare D'Orsi, (née Copson; born December 1969) is a British police officer. Since March 2021, she has served as chief constable of British Transport Police. She was Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police Service, with responsibility for the Protection Command.
Early life and family
Lucy D'Orsi was born Lucy Copson in Leicester, in December 1969. She married Raffaele D'Orsi in Leicester in 1993.[citation needed] Raffaele was a Detective Superintendent and Deputy Borough Commander for policing in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. In 2004, Lucy and Raffaele D'Orsi were thanked by author Lynda La Plante for their advice on police procedures for her novel Above Suspicion.[1]
Career
D'Orsi joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 1992. She was in charge of the police response to London's largest fire of 2006, in Beaufort Park, Hendon, and has previously headed special operations relating to illegal weapons.[2] She later moved from Enfield to take up the post of Chief Superintendent and Borough Commander in Hammersmith and Fulham from March 2011 to March 2014, after which she was promoted to Commander in East London.[3][4]
In 2015, D'Orsi was in charge of security during the visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the United Kingdom[5][6] which was regarded on the British official side as a very difficult visit to arrange as in negotiations the Chinese delegation had wanted their security officials to be able to carry guns and for all anti-Chinese protests to be banned, neither of which demands were agreed to by the Metropolitan Police.[7] However, during the visit, three protestors were arrested and their homes searched resulting in criticism that legitimate protests had been blocked and the response to the protests "heavy handed".[8] In a blog post written in her official capacity in 2015, D'Orsi rejected accusations that the policing of protests during the visit had been subject to political interference, saying "The policing of the state visit was a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service and any other suggestion is wrong".[9]
D'Orsi was recommended for a commendation for her work during the visit but did not receive it because her performance was seen as part of the natural duties of her role.[7] In May 2016, Queen Elizabeth II was filmed remarking that it was "bad luck" for D'Orsi to be responsible for security during the visit given the challenges and that the Chinese "were very rude to the ambassador".[6]
In 2016, she was appointed Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the force's Protection Command. D'Orsi has also been responsible for policing operations for London’s new year’s eve, the state visit of the then President Trump and the NATO Summit (2019).[10]
On 3 December 2020, the British Transport Police Authority announced that D'Orsi would be the next Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, taking over the role from February 2021.[11] She is also the currrent national police lead for taser and counter drone UK capabilities.[10]
D'Orsi was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 2021 Birthday Honours.[12] In 2023, she was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2023 Demise Honours.
Honours
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| Royal Victorian Order (CVO) |
| |
| Queen's Police Medal (QPM) |
| |
| Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal |
| |
| Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal |
| |
| Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal |
| |
| King Charles III Coronation Medal |
| |
| Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal |
|
References
- ^ La Plante, Lynda. (2004). Above Suspicion. London: Simon and Schuster. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-84739-509-2.
- ^ "New Borough Commander Lucy D Orsi - Hammersmith & Fulham". www.lbhf.gov.uk. Archived 5 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
- ^ Culbertson, Alix (17 February 2014). "Hammersmith and Fulham police chief says goodbye to the borough next month". My London. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ "Lucy D’Orsi moves to new post". www.hfnhw.org.uk. 5 February 2014. Archived 26 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ "China censors TV footage of Queen criticising 'very rude' officials". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ Phillips, Tom (11 May 2016). "Queen caught on camera saying Chinese officials were 'very rude'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ Low, Valentine (11 May 2016). "Line of duty: officer won praise for handling of ‘rude’ Chinese". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ "Campaigners demand investigation into Met police's handling of China state visit". The Independent. 2015-10-27. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- ^ D'Orsi, Lucy (23 October 2015). "Independence of policing the Chinese state visit". Metropolitan Police. Archived 22 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ "Chief officers". British Transport Police. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ Thompson, Tony (3 December 2020). "Lucy D’Orsi announced as new British Transport Police chief constable". Police Professional. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ No. 63377. 12 June 2021. p. B36.
- ^ No. 64008. 25 March 2023. p. D2.
- ^ No. 63377. 12 June 2021. p. B36.