SUFFOLK Police Authority has announced the appointment of a new Assistant Chief Constable.

Danielle Nuttall

SUFFOLK Police Authority has announced the appointment of a new Assistant Chief Constable.

Gary Kitching, who is currently a chief superintendent with Hertfordshire Constabulary, will join the Suffolk force next month.

Born in 1957, Mr Kitching spent his early years in central London before moving with his parents to Surrey.

After three years at university in Wales, he returned to London in 1979 where he joined the Metropolitan Police Service.

Mr Kitching spent the majority of his early career in South London working in places such as Totting and Battersea and was posted to a range of operational roles including leading community and public order teams.

He was also part of the development team for a ground breaking computerised crime reporting system.

In 1996, he transferred on promotion to Hertfordshire Constabulary and over a period of 10 years has led all of the force's operational teams as well as being responsible for strategic planning.

As the Area Commander for Eastern Hertfordshire and a keen support of neighbourhood policing, he led one of England's pathfinder sites developing community-focused police activity.

Prior to joining Suffolk, the police chief has been in the role of Temporary Assistant Chief Constable.

Speaking of his appointment, Mr Kitching said: “Central to my policing approach is community-based neighbourhood policing and partnership working.

“Officers working with local partners in communities are the foundation stones of policing and provide essential support for the professional teams responding to incidents and investigating crime.

“Suffolk Constabulary's people have an outstanding reputation and I consider myself very lucky to be selected as their Assistant Chief Constable. I very much look forward to joining the Suffolk policing team and working with them to keep the county safe.”