Jon Burrows | |
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| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for North Antrim | |
| Assumed office 4 August 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Colin Crawford |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Ulster Unionist Party |
Jon Burrows is an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Antrim since August 2025. [1] Jon Burrows has national policing experience and was a long serving member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). He served as a senior police officer in the Police Service of Northern Ireland until his retirement in 2021. [2]
Burrows' policing career saw him serve in both London and predominantly in Northern Ireland in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI),where he held a number of roles,including Area Commander for Foyle [3] and head of the internal discipline branch, [4] until he retired on health grounds in 2021.
In July 2025,the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) announced that Burrows had been selected to replace Colin Crawford as MLA for North Antrim. [5] [6]
Jon Burrows was mentioned multiple times in an industrial tribunal brought by former Chief Superintendent Emma Bond,who alleged sex discrimination within the PSNI. Bond claimed that Burrows exhibited bias against her during internal investigations. Burrows expressed being "shocked" by these allegations,emphasizing his commitment to professionalism and fairness in his role. [7]
Burrows was a vocal critic of the Ombudsman’s handling of the 2021 Ormeau Road incident,where a PSNI officer was unlawfully suspended. He argued that the Ombudsman failed to investigate the actions of senior officers involved and instead pursued disciplinary charges against the suspended officer. Burrows contended that the suspension was politically motivated and not based on misconduct. [8]
In 2022,the Police Ombudsman found that a PSNI officer had inappropriately initiated a personal relationship with a woman he met during a domestic abuse investigation. The officer received a final written warning for gross misconduct. Burrows defended the majority of PSNI officers,stating that such incidents should not be used to malign the entire force. [9]