Phil Gormley named as new Chief Constable

Phil Gormley has been named as the successor to Sir Stephen House as Chief Constable of Police Scotland.

Mr Gormley, Deputy Director General of the UK’s National Crime Agency since 2013, will take up the post on 5 January 2016. From 2010 to 2013 he was chief constable of Norfolk, prior to which he was deputy chief constable in the West Midlands and before that a commander in the Metropolitan Police.

His appointment was made on the recommendation of the Scottish Police Authority and was approved by Scottish ministers. He was chosen ahead of two senior Police Scotland figures, Iain Livingstone and Neil Richardson, to lead a force that has met with a series of controversies, ultimately leading to his predecessor leaving his post early. These include its stop and search policy, the level of armed police on routine patrol, and its failure to respond for three days to the M9 crash in July in which John Yuill and his partner Lamara Bell died.

The force also faces severe financial pressures, partly due to a large VAT bill since it became a national body. 

Announcing the appointment, SPA chair Andrew Flanagan said: “From a strong field, I am confident we have found the best candidate to build on the progress that policing in Scotland has made, and to address the issues and challenges that the service faces."

He described Mr Gormley as having "extensive experience in leading law enforcement organisations with diverse workforces, operating across both rural and urban environments, and with local, national and international reach. That mix fits well with the needs of a single service here in Scotland".

Mr Flanagan added: ”The new chief constable has challenges he will want to quickly address: re-engaging our workforce, tackling budget challenges, and bringing stability to the planning and implementation of organisational change.

“That is however just the start. We set out to find a leader with the vision to energise officers and staff towards innovative new approaches in the prevention of crime, and someone to reach out and build a strong connection between the single service and the local communities it serves. Those are key strengths we have identified in him and that he will bring to the wider police team.”

Brian Docherty, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation commented: "Internally, [Mr Gormley] faces a workforce which has recently reported unprecedented high levels of dissatisfaction with the job, and action needs to be taken to address that.

"Mr Gormley's entire policing career has been forged in England. In the past we have expressed concerns that policing in Scotland has had its unique identity diminished due to a lack of understanding of our own challenges and issues. We have already met with Mr Gormley and are delighted that he has acknowledged his willingness to listen and learn."

Mr Gormley himself said: "I have a 30 year career in policing and law enforcement, the last 13 years as a chief officer leading organisations delivering for the public in a period of profound transformation for policing. Police Scotland is on just such a journey and it will be my job to ensure our service strikes the right balance between local community approaches, and the many challenges we face from organised criminals, cybercrime and extremism. I am very excited and passionate about this unique professional and personal challenge, and I am looking forward to getting to work with my new team.”