British South Africa Police

Commissioner 

7 February 1974 to 6 February 1978
(1920-1995) CLM; OLM; PCD; PCM; PLSM

Peter Sherren, born on 16 August 1920 in Wimereux, France, was educated at Leigh Hall College in Essex, where he distinguished himself in sport before entering the family business. His ambitions, however, lay further afield. Drawn to Africa, he attested into the British South Africa Police on 13 August 1939, just weeks before the outbreak of the Second World War. The early years of his service were spent in rural districts, gaining the grounding that would shape his later leadership. He was subsequently seconded to active wartime duty, returning to Rhodesia in 1946 to resume his police career.
Sherren rose steadily through the ranks. Commissioned in October 1956, he went on to hold key command appointments in Umtali and Fort Victoria Districts, followed by the senior provincial command in Matabeleland. His performance in these posts led to his transfer to General Headquarters, where he became a central figure in the organisation’s senior leadership. In 1970 he was promoted to Deputy Commissioner, responsible for Crime and Security, a portfolio of considerable strategic weight.
He died in Harare on 16 August 1995. His decorations included the CPM (1959), PCD (1971), OLM (1973 and 1978), CLM (1977), and PLSM.

Deputy Commissioners