Michael McManus

Michael McManus was born in 1946 in Durham City, UK. He has led a distinguished and varied career and has served fifty years in Public Service. He served as an Airman in the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm during the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1971, he joined the Durham Constabulary, dedicating nearly three decades to policing before retiring in 1999. Following his retirement, McManus transitioned to academia at Durham University, where he taught in a part-time capacity from 1999 to 2015, in Sociology and Criminology and was module leader in the Policing and Researching Crime modules. He has researched the relationship between private policing and public policing in public residential areas and has written textbooks such as, “From Fate to Choice: Private Bobbies, Public Beats” and “The State or the Market?: An Evaluation of Private Security Patrol in Public Residential Areas of The United Kingdom”

Beyond his professional endeavours, McManus is an accomplished artist and writer. His pen and wash artwork, such as “Rocket Corner, Market Place, Durham City” and “St. Godrics Church from Neville Street”, showcases his deep connection to his hometown. As an author, he has contributed to historical sociology with his book “The Palatinate, The Peninsular and The Slum: The Science of Police in Victorian Durham,” published in 2024, which explores policing in Victorian Durham. He has a keen interest in Irish historical studies, especially the Irish in Britain in the Nineteenth Century, and has written accordingly, “From Townland to Township: The Complex Evolution of a Famine Irish Community in County Durham”. Additionally, his 2023 poetry collection, “Shout it out!: Well-versed reflections and images,” reflects his artistic and literary talents.

McManus holds a BA (Hons) from the University of Northumbria and a PhD from Durham University. He is married to Annette, and they live in Durham City.