Start date for new police chief

Matt Baggott will begin his new role at the PSNI on September 21

The new chief constable of the PSNI, Matt Baggott, will arrive in Northern Ireland to take up the post next month.

His employers, the Leicestershire Police Authority, agreed on Thursday to release him to begin his new job which he will start on Tuesday, 22 September.

Sir Hugh Orde's last day in office is next Monday, and the Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie will fill the post until her new boss arrives.

Sir Hugh is to be president of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Northern Ireland Policing Board Chairman, Barry Gilligan, said he was delighted an "early start date for the chief constable" had been secured.

"Since his appointment, negotiations have been ongoing with the Leicestershire Police Authority and I would like to thank them for their cooperation in reaching agreement on this date," he said.

"I know that Matt is also keen to get started and as a board we are looking forward to working with him. "

Mr Baggott's accession to the top policing job in Northern Ireland is the culmination of a long career in a variety of roles.

As a member of the National Policing Board - which is chaired by the home secretary and provides a similar role in England and Wales - he advises the government on issues ranging from partnership to social cohesion.

The married father-of-three spent his first 20 years as a policeman in the Metropolitan Police.

During this time, he had first-hand experience tackling inner city crime on the tough beats of Brixton, Peckham and Tooting, while also taking on senior roles such as working as staff officer for then-commissioner Sir Paul Condon.

Promotion

He also has experience of working on high-profile, sensitive cases such as the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.

After leaving the Met, he moved to West Midlands Police in June 1998 as assistant chief constable, with specific responsibility for policing diversity, crime and disorder, professional standards and criminal justice.

He won promotion to deputy chief constable in November 2001, and moved to Leicestershire Constabulary as chief constable in December 2002.

Mr Baggott was awarded a CBE in the 2008 New Year's Honours and the Queen's Police Medal in June 2004.

He was elected a Fellow of University College London in 2006 and received an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University, Leicester, in July 2007.

A devout Christian, he is president of the Christian Police Association, and vice-president of the National Association of Police Chaplains.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version