Touching tributes have been paid to a former senior police chief and Westside BID board member who has sadly passed away following a lengthy illness.
Danny Long, who retired as an Assistant Chief Constable with West Midlands Police on 30 November last year, died on Thursday from cancer.
He had previously served memorably as an “extraordinary” police chief covering Birmingham city centre and the surrounding areas in a career that spanned 27 years.
Mike Olley, general manager of Westside BID, said: “I regarded Danny as a wonderfully kind, bright and positive individual who as a policeman exemplified the very best of policing.
“We first knew him as a Superintendent under Commander Clive Burgess and alongside Richard Baker, and as part of that command team I believe we witnessed the very best of policing offered during my time at the BID.
“That was a testing time on many fronts, in particular with the rise of the English Defence League and their want to protest and march in and around Westside.
“Yet history tells us the policing family did well, the peace was kept over numerous occasions and we can look back and reflect and say a good job was done. Danny was in the middle of all that. It wasn’t Danny exclusively, but the point being Danny was a extraordinary team player.
“As an individual policeman he drove and championed ‘policing by consent’. Of course, Danny the team player was built off his personal foundation of being one hell of a wonderful individual.
“Danny was promoted and moved on. Yet he came back as our police commander. The promise and delivery was welcomed and again incredible, yet his tenure in office was shortened by his sporadic emerging illness.
“Danny moved on to become an Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) yet his health was not at his best. But we kept in touch, often over coffee and it was always a pleasure to see him.
“I recall a particularly pleasant afternoon with him and his son at Burton Albion, Danny’s team, when I secured tickets in the directors’ box with lunch on the chairman’s table. My team, Walsall, lost, yet we all had a great day out.
“Danny’s loss is deeply personal for me but shared with the BID team members who worked with him. He was taken too young yet my memories of him will be carried for an age. Love to his family, and with his friends I stand in grief and sorrow.”
Dan had served as ACC Operations for the West Midlands since July 2020, with his responsibilities including being the strategic lead for Armed Policing.
He previously served as police Superintendent for Central Birmingham for 18 years up until 2014, responsible for local policing and operations across the city centre.
Dan was further promoted to Detective Chief Superintendent and then Commander for Birmingham Central, South and West, before eventually becoming ACC. He was also the strategic lead for safeguarding across the West Midlands force.
As well as his role with Westside and other city BIDs, he was the vice chair of the Birmingham Community Safety Partnership.
Sir David Thompson, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, confirmed the death “with great sadness” and said: “Danny has fought a long battle with cancer and, for periods of this, continued to work hard in his role in the force. He was very loved and admired by many colleagues in West Midlands Police. All our thoughts are with Danny’s family at this sad time.”
