New force chief is 'good copper'

Mark Polin's career includes four years at Gwent Police

The new chief constable of North Wales Police is Mark Polin, currently the deputy chief constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary.

Mr Polin, 46, was one of four candidates for the post vacated by Richard Brunstrom, who retired in July.

A father-of-two, he began his career with City of London Police in 1983 and served four years with Gwent Police.

North Wales Police Authority chair Ian Roberts described Mr Polin as "a very good copper".

Mr Polin rose to the rank of chief inspector at City of London Police, where he had responsibility for security operations at the Central Criminal Court and other high-profile venues.

He joined another Welsh force - Gwent Police - in 1998, rising to chief superintendent and becoming a divisional commander in 2002. He also had responsibility for the force's professional and ethical standards department.

Mr Polin, who has a Master of Business Administration degree from the Open University, held two chief officer posts at Gloucestershire Constabulary before becoming deputy chief constable.

Mr Roberts said: "We are confident that we have picked the right person to take North Wales Police to the next level.

Richard Brunstrom became North Wales Police chief constable in 2001

"Mark Polin brings a huge amount of experience and expertise to the role of chief constable."

No date has been set for Mr Polin to begin his new job.

The force's former deputy chief constable Clive Wolfendale is in the post until he retires at the end of the month.

Mr Polin said: "My priority is to build on the strong track record that North Wales Police has in terms of performance and particularly to focus upon improving trust and confidence in our communities in terms of the policing services that we provide."

'Serious issue'

He replaces Mr Brunstrom, who became one of the best-known policemen in the UK with his outspoken views on such topics as drugs and speeding drivers.

Mr Brunstrom, who joined the force in 2000, became chief constable in 2001, succeeding Michael Argent.

His crackdown on speeding drivers led to him being dubbed the "mad mullah of the traffic Taliban" by parts of the press.

He described the nickname as "humorous but quite stupid" but said he regretted the times when he became the story, rather than the subject he was addressing.

In an interview on his retirement, he said speeding on roads in north Wales remained a serious issue. He said: "Too many people are being injured on our roads."

His advice for his successor was: "Do your own thing. Plough your own furrow. Be your own person."

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