Robert Gallagher MBE

Bob is currently teaching on the forensic photography, advanced photography and crime scene investigation modules. With his considerable knowledge in crime scene investigations, which include serious offences such as murder, sexual assaults, firearm offences and domestic crime scenes, he utilises his experience to enhance the modules with realistic scenarios. He is currently devising and developing a Counter Terrorism module, which introduces the students with the knowledge to work within a terrorist related incident.

Bob trained at the National Training Centre for Scientific Skills as a Crime Scene Examiner in 1997. He then went on to successfully complete his Crime Scene Co-ordinator and Crime Scene Manager courses. One of his first cases was the investigation into Dr Harold Shipman and he was responsible for the exhumations and subsequent post mortems of some of his victims.
In 2001, Bob was seconded to the National CSI Training Centre, where he instructed on the Volume Crime Scene Investigations course. He also was the Crime Scene Manager on a Fire Investigation Course, facilitated by himself and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service for CSI’s within GMP.

He became a Senior CSI in 2003 and oversaw the CSI office which covered East Manchester and Tameside. He attended and managed numerous major crime scenes and received commendations in recognition of his successes.

In 2009, Bob became the Deputy Forensic and Digital Investigations Manager with the North West Counter Terrorism Unit. He later became the Head of the Forensic Unit and represented the NWCTU at national level.

He is a qualified Bomb Scene Manager and Forensic Co-ordinator for major terrorist incidents. He is also trained in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and Chemical Biological Radiological & Nuclear (CBRN). He successfully completed the Post Blast Investigators School with the Explosives Unit of the FBI in Colorado, USA.

He was the Bomb / Crime Scene Manager for the main scene of the Manchester Arena suicide bombing attack and co-ordinated the forensic and victim recoveries. He was later instrumental in the extradition of the bombers brother and give evidence at the Old Bailey at his trial.

He was a facilitator on the post bomb blast element on Exercise Saton Force, an exercise regarding the police and military EOD (bomb squad) response to a terrorist improvised explosive device (IED) attack. Students witnessed a live IED detonation and participated in the subsequent DVI and forensic recoveries.

He was an active member of the UK contingent for Exercise Capex, a quadrilateral CBRN exercise involving UK/ FBI/ Australian/ Canadian scientists and forensic recovery practitioners, attending the exercise in West Virginia, USA and Brisbane, Australia.

Bob was awarded Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 New Years Honours List for services to Policing and the Community in Greater Manchester.