Richard Clarke
Biography
Richard Clarke is the Director General Safer Streets in the Home Office.
Richard returned to the Home Office in 2024, having spent six years away from the Department - initially as the Director General for Policy, Research and Humanitarian at the then Department for International Development (DfID), and then on secondment to the national security community, where he focused on organisational delivery.
Before that, Richard was the Home Office International Director, with responsibility for the department’s international engagement, work on international criminality, mutual legal assistance and extradition.
He was Programme Director for the Digital Services at the Border Programme, introducing new, digital solutions to key challenges facing agencies operating at the UK border. He was also the director responsible for the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy and for operational support to the Home Secretary.
Richard has also worked as Head of the Home Office Police Reform Unit; spent two years on secondment to the Metropolitan Police Service as its Director of Strategy and Improvement; and was part of the team that established the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office.
He began his career at HM Treasury, where he covered financial crime policy, counter-terrorism, public-private partnerships and corporate finance. Before joining the civil service, he was an academic anthropologist. His doctorate focused on Israeli / Palestinian identity.
Director General, Safer Streets
The Director General and senior responsible owner for the government’s Safer Streets Mission works across departments to drive delivery and better outcomes.
The DG also serves as a member of the Home Office Executive Committee.
Director General, Public Safety
The Director General is responsible for:
- leading on developing, co-ordinating and delivering the government’s strategy, policy and legislation on crime, policing, fire, international law enforcement and judicial cooperation
- creating the Emergency Services Network, a 4G digital critical communications network which will transform how Britain’s emergency and rescue services operate, and leading various other national digital law enforcement programmes
- leading the policy and operational teams working on modern slavery and human trafficking, including the UK’s National Referral Mechanism and provision of support for victims in England and Wales