Tim Jacques: A different zone

From being one of the highest-ranking police officers in the country to chief executive of Preston’s emerging Youth Zone, on the surface Tim Jacques’ career looks to have taken an unexpected turn.

He doesn’t see it that way. Tim believes the new charity organisation he is heading has a direct link to his work in uniform, providing positive opportunities denied to many young people he came across during his 37-year police career and leading them away from taking the wrong path.

The Youth Zone, currently under construction in the city centre on a site near The Guild Hall and bus station, expects to have more than 4,000 young members.

It was that chance to make a real difference to young people in his home town that persuaded Tim, who spent the last six years of his career in charge of UK counter-terrorism operations, to make the move.

He says: “I’ve done well in my career, better than I expected and I’m one of those people who really needs to believe in what they’re doing.

When I first came across Youth Zones more than a decade ago, I thought, ‘this is amazing, I’d love to be involved in bringing one to Preston’.

“I look back at my time in the police and the young people I came into contact with who found themselves in trouble. They weren’t ‘bad’ they had just ended up taking a wrong turn or getting in with the wrong crowd and they hadn’t had the right opportunities.

“That’s why I believe what we are doing can make a real difference. I genuinely believe in the goodness of people. This is not just about delivering an amazing activity centre, it is about transforming lives.”

Tim joined the Lancashire Constabulary at the age of 21, enthused by watching officers policing a Preston North End away game at Bolton on a rainy Tuesday evening and encouraged to apply by his dad.

The father of three grown up children went on to have a stellar career. His skills included being a firearms officer and trained negotiator. Intelligence gathering was another area he excelled in.

Tim was the Chief Superintendent in Preston, before becoming Assistant Chief Constable for the Lancashire force and then Deputy Assistant Commissioner at The Met, when he took on his counter-terror role.

Looking back at his time in counter terrorism Tim says: “I believe I had the best job in British policing.”

It was a role which involved working with the security services and the military, briefing very senior politicians on a regular basis. He also spearheaded the counter-terror response to the Manchester Arena bombing, including two years later overseeing the extradition of the attacker’s brother back to the UK to face British justice.

Tim is now hard at work preparing for the opening of the purpose built 2,500 sqm Youth Zone next year.

And he points out the importance of local businesses getting involved, as they have done successfully in Youth Zones in other parts of Lancashire.

Pointing out it will cost more than £1m a year to keep the venture afloat, he says: “We’re getting some good support and lots of interest from the business community, but we inevitably need more.

“The buy in from business will be crucial and we are not just talking about cash, though that is important, of course!

“We need businesses to get really involved, for example in coaching, mentoring and helping to develop employability skills in our young people. In short there are lots of way they can support us.”

Tim's take on leadership

What makes a good leader?

A good leader needs to be open, honest and vulnerable. Leaders don’t have all the answers, they need to create an environment where people can trust and question.

When you’re a police negotiator, you have someone who ‘holds your belt’, sometimes physically if you’re talking to someone at the top of a building.

It’s someone who has that relationship which means they can say ‘Are you sure about that?’ and who will question you in the heat of the moment.

The more open you are, your decision making will be better, informed by those people around you. If you create a culture where people think there is no point in them saying or doing anything, that is counter-productive.

Which leaders have inspired you?

I’ve been inspired by a number of people throughout my career, including Pauline Clare who was the country’s first female chief constable.

She came into Lancashire and restructured the force, it was a massive challenge. Her work set up what was already a well-respected police force, and re-shaped it for the future, creating one of the highest-performing forces in the country, and a generation of leaders who went on to fill some of the most senior roles in UK policing.

I was also the Staff Officer to (Sir) Paul Stephenson, another former Lancashire chief constable, before he went down to lead The Met.

I learned an awful lot from him about “strategic thinking”, understanding the detail in order to encapsulate it, and then joining the dots across the many varied areas of policing.

I saw him wrestle with particular, new or emerging issues, really wanting to understand them and once he did, he never forgot anything!

What qualities does a leader need?

You can’t be a worrier and be in the counter-terrorism business. You should always push yourself out of your comfort zone and you also need humility.

Being consistent is also important. There will be difficult conversations but if you deliver your message in that consistent, calm way, it will probably be more impactful, and I’ve found that people are more likely open up and you’ll get more out of them.