SPA chair will not seek reappointment
Chair of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), Vic Emery OBE, has announced he will not seek reappointment when his current three-year tenure comes to an end in September. Emery’s decision to step aside follows an announcement by the current Chief Constable, Sir Stephen House, that he will also not seek reappointment beyond 2016.
According to a statement from the SPA, Emery’s decision was made on the grounds that it would be “more appropriate that the next Chair of the SPA is afforded the opportunity to play an instrumental role from the outset in the succession process required in appointing Police Scotland’s next Chief Constable and therefore building a strong relationship between those two new leaders from the outset.”
Announcing his intention to step down, Emery highlighted the progress that he had witnessed within policing over the past seven years and praised the Chief Constable for his personal commitment to the establishment and progress of Police Scotland. He said:
“It has been an honour to have played a pivotal role in Scottish policing over the last 7 years. Since becoming Convenor of the SPSA in 2008 and now as Chair of the SPA, I have witnessed remarkable improvement and progress in the effectiveness and efficiency of policing.”
“The relationship between the Chief Constable and the Chair of the SPA is a key one. I believe that the best way for that crucial dynamic to be forged would be for the Chair appointing the new Chief to have the opportunity to progress the appointment process and have the appropriate tenure to develop that key governance relationship going forward.
“I also want to thank fellow board members and staff at the SPA and Police Scotland who have been instrumental in the reform journey so far. I have faith and confidence that the good work that is in train will continue and I look forward to my successor being able to build on that in the future.”