Sir Stanley, who was Northumbria's chief officer from 1975 to 1991, was one of the first chief constables to put crime prevention at the heart of his policy.
He was an enthusiastic advocate of community involvement and throughout his time as chief officer he met regularly with community leaders and local MPs.
He was also a champion of Neighbourhood Watch and liked to meet people face to face to discuss their concerns.
Following a visit to America he helped set up the Northumbria Coalition Against Crime after seeing the benefits of bringing partnerships together to fight crime.
During his time at Northumbria he served as president of the Association of Chief Police Officers. He received the Queen's Police Medal in 1973, was made a CBE in the early 80s and received his knighthood in the late 80s.
Northumbria Chief Constable Mike Craik said: "I wish to extend my condolences to Sir Stanley's family and to recognise the contribution he made to the force and in particular his work with local communities."
During his retirement Sir Stanley campaigned for pensioners' rights.