DOUGLAS Paxton has been announced as the new Chief Constable for Suffolk, subject to the appointment being confirmed by the Police and Crime Panel next week.
He currently holds the post of Deputy Chief Constable for Staffordshire Police but worked in Suffolk earlier in his career.
Mr Paxton joined Suffolk Constabulary in 1989 and rose to the rank of superintendent, serving as deputy area commander for the west of the county.
In this role he gained extensive experience of policing animal rights extremism due to the proximity of the Huntingdon Life Sciences centre in Suffolk.
He moved to West Midlands Police in 2002 where, for three years, he was in charge of a large division in Birmingham city centre which included a match commander’s role at Aston Villa.
He managed a project reviewing service across the West Midlands Police and was previously head of its Professional Standards Department. He joined Staffordshire Police in April 2007.
Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore and an appointments panel selected Mr Paxton as the next Chief Constable following a rigorous process of interviews and tests on Tuesday.
Mr Passmore said: “I am very pleased to propose Douglas Paxton as the next Chief Constable of Suffolk.
“This was a unanimous decision by the panel. Douglas was a strong candidate, and impressed us with his sound knowledge of Suffolk and all its different communities and businesses. He has a track record of an innovative approach to policing and partnership working.
“Douglas has given a long-term commitment to Suffolk, which is particularly important as we devise our long-term plan for the next five to six years, in line with our newly published Police and Crime Plan.”
The Police and Crime Panel’s Chief Constable Confirmation Hearing, which is a public meeting, will be held at Endeavour House at 1.30pm on Friday February 8.
The appointment comes after the announcement last November that Suffolk’s Chief Constable Simon Ash would be retiring from the post.
Mr Ash will take up a new role as an independent member of the parole board.
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