PC Alison Harle awarded British Empire Medal in King’s Birthday Honours

PC Alison Harle has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 for services to policing for her work to deliver significant ceremonial events.

PC Harle joined the City of London Police 27 years’ ago in 1998 and is now an Operational Planner Officer in Operations and Duty Planning. 

After an initial period in uniform policing, she worked as a detective in our Criminal Investigation Department and then as a dedicated ward officer. On announcement of the Olympic Games coming to London in 2008, PC Harle applied for a four-year secondment to the Metropolitan Police Service’s Olympic Planning Team. Taking her out of her comfort zone, she relished this challenge and used the opportunity to learn new skills and build new contacts in and outside of policing. For the last year of the secondment, PC Harle worked at the Olympic Park itself. 

On return to the force, PC Harle worked within the National Lead Force directorate before moving to Operations and Duty Planning. In this team, she’s been involved in organising many small and large-scale ceremonial events, including the Lord Mayor’s Show, Lord Mayor’s Banquet, Platinum Jubilee celebrations at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Global Investment Summitt at St Paul’s and Guildhall, and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The latter, being one of the more unusual and testing tasks involving facilitating the safety and security of an event with over 40 Heads of State in attendance at function 34 floors up in the Sky Garden.

PC Harle is the force’s lead planner for Op London Bridge planning. She led on the development of the contingency plans that would have seen Her Majesty the Queen lie in state at St. Paul’s as opposed to Westminster Hall, in the event of renovations or catastrophic incident at Parliament. Building an intimate knowledge of the requirements for contingency, PC Harle balanced those demands with continually reviewing and improving the existing plans for Op London Bridge and in particular the initial period with the significance of both the service at St Paul’s and then the Proclamation at the Royal Exchange. In September 2022, these events passed off seamlessly with over 2,200 members of the public attending the St Paul’s service and the Proclamation on the steps of the Royal Exchange taking place in full view of the world’s media. 

PC Harle said of receiving her BEM: “I am very honoured and somewhat surprised to be recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025. 

“I feel fortunate and privileged not only to have worked on some of the biggest events in the UK of national significance, but that people both internally and externally have taken the time to write and nominate me. 

“When I applied for the planning role in the MPS, I had no experience and no idea where, or what I would be doing. Fortunately, luck favoured me, and I found my niche, a role I am both passionate about and committed to.”

Commissioner Pete O’Doherty said:

“It gives me immense pleasure to extend my sincerest congratulations to PC Alison Harle on being awarded the British Empire Medal.  This distinguished award is a testament to Ali's exceptional contributions during her 28 years in Policing and significant contributions to the City of London Police.  Ali's long-standing commitment and hard work are in inspiration to us all.

Former Commissioner of the City of London Police, Ian Dyson, has been awarded a CBE for Voluntary and Charitable Services and to Policing.

Since retiring as City Police Commissioner, Ian has devoted himself to a wide range of voluntary work.

Commissioner Pete O’Doherty added:

“I’d also like to congratulate one of my predecessors, Ian Dyson, who has been awarded a very well-deserved CBE. “