Family pay tribute to former PSNI ACC Alan McQuillan after cancer battle - 'A true professional, with integrity, honesty and a sense of fairness'
Tributes have poured in for former senior police officer Alan McQuillan after his cancer battle.
It is understood he passed away yesterday afternoon (Monday) and had previously revealed he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.
Mr McQuillan is survived by his wife Heather, daughter Jane and son Andrew.
On social media, his son Andrew McQuillan issued tributes in a family statement saying:
‘Passing of Alan McQuillan OBE
‘Former PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan OBE has passed away peacefully following a four year battle with prostrate cancer.
‘Despite graduating as an astrophysicist with no policing career plans, a series of events and his overwhelming care for others took him into policing.
‘Alan cared deeply about protecting and helping every community across Northern Ireland, even when this meant personal sacrifices
‘In his role as a senior police officer, he was unafraid to take hard decisions to achieve peace for everyone, even when the consequence would be as significant as collapsing the government.
‘His work in setting up and running the Assets Recovery Agency (now within the National Crime Agency) hammered major blows to paramilitaries and organised crime across Northern Ireland, the rest of United Kingdom and internationally.
‘His actions stopped hundreds of millions of pounds from being used to harm and murder people by criminals and terrorists.
‘A true professional, with integrity, honesty and a sense of fairness which was evident in every aspect of his career; a likeable and popular man who was always ready to provide advice and guidance to all who needed and asked for his support, even long after his retirement.
‘Alan is survived by his loving wife Heather, daughter Jane and son Andrew who ask for privacy at this time.
‘There will be a service of thanksgiving at St Columba's Church, Knock Road, Belfast on Monday 20th October at 11am’.
Paying tribute UUP MLA Jon Burrows – a former senior officer in the PSNI – posted on X: “I am very sad to hear of the passing of Alan McQuillan OBE.
"Alan was a former Assistant Chief Constable in the RUCGC & PSNI & former Director of the Assets Recovery Agency.
“ A towering intellect, a brilliant communicator & a fearless public servant. Thoughts with his family.
Former senior police officer Jim Gamble @JimGamble_INEQE also posted: ‘So sorry to hear that former ACC Alan McQuillan passed away last night. RIP’.
And former DUP MP Peter Weir added: ‘Sorry to hear of the passing of former Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan OBE. Condolences to his family’.
Meanwhile the Northern Editor for RTE news, Vincent Kearney added: ‘Sorry to learn of death of good friend Alan McQuillan, former PSNI ACC.
‘With degree in astrophysics he was always very down to earth, great company + sharp as a tack. Critic of darker side of policing, including recently revealed illegal surveillance of journalists. Rest easy’