This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Chief Inspector of Constabulary
08/09/2006
Following an open competition, First Minister Jack McConnell has announced that Paddy Tomkins QPM is to be appointed HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMCIC) for Scotland.
Mr Tomkins, Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders, will succeed Andrew Brown CBE QPM, who will retire early next year.
As HMCIC Mr Tomkins will be responsible for carrying out a series of inspections of individual police forces and producing an annual statutory report for Scottish Ministers, which is presented to the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Tomkins' key objectives will be to:
- speed up reforms to ensure Scotland's police meet the challenges of 21st century policing
- improve performance and build public confidence in the police
- promote best practice among police forces in Scotland to ensure our service stands comparison with the best in the world
Mr McConnell said:
"Scotland has a proud history of policing and our forces have a vital role in delivering the safer, stronger communities we all want to see. Today we have more professional police officers than ever before - some 1,500 more than in 1999. We want to work with the service to ensure that more of them spend more of their time doing what they do best - preventing and detecting crime.
"I want to congratulate Paddy Tomkins on his appointment to this key post. His commitment and enthusiasm and excellent record qualify him very well to take forward our ambitious agenda for modernisation and reform of police services.
"I am aware that Andrew Brown still has important work to complete over the coming months but I want to thank him for his commitment and professional expertise in his time as HMCIC."
Mr Tomkins, 46, has been Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police since 2002. He is married with two children and lives in the Scottish Borders.
He has been a police officer for 27 years. He has served as Commander in the Metropolitan Police and Assistant Inspector of Constabulary at the Home Office. He currently holds the Diversity Portfolio for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.
Earlier this year, Mr Tomkins was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) for distinguished police service. He also holds a Commendation from the Chief Constable of Sussex Constabulary for his actions as the first Sergeant at the scene of the IRA bombing of the Grand Hotel, Brighton in October 1984.
The new appointment is for three years, with the possibility of extension by mutual agreement.
HMCIC is the senior professional police adviser to Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Executive Justice Department. The statutory duties of HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary are set out in section 33(1) of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 as amended by section 57 of the Police and Magistrates' Court Act 1994 and Schedule 6 of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006.
Briefly these duties are 'To visit and inquire into any matter concerning or relating to the operation of a police force or of police forces generally...and such matters may include the state and efficiency of, the buildings and equipment used by, the force or forces'.
Mr Tomkins' salary will be £173,000 and future increases will be in line with pay awards for the police services, subject to satisfactory performance.
As with all similar inspectorate appointments, his formal appointment will be confirmed by Royal Warrant in due course by Her Majesty The Queen.