Chief Constable Gavin Stephens appointed new NPCC chair
Chief Constable Gavin Stephens has been appointed as the new chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and will take up the post in April next year.
He will succeed current chair Martin Hewitt, who will leave the role next March after serving a four-year term.
Mr Stephens will remain as chief constable of Surrey Police until next spring before he leaves to take up his new position.
Mr Hewitt said: “I’m delighted that Gavin will be the new chair of the NPCC from April 2023.
“He is an exceptional chief, who brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience and I have no doubt that he will bring that to bear as he leads the NPCC in the important role that it will continue to play in the coming years.”
Chief constables were invited to apply for the post of chair in October.
The NPCC said Mr Stephens “applied for the post and, in accordance with election rules, has been appointed”.
Mr Stephens has worked for nearly 30 years in policing, first joining Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1993 and then Surrey Police in 1996, where he has been working for more than 20 years, serving in every rank up to the role of chief constable.
He was initially based in East Surrey on neighbourhood policing, and went onto roles in serious and organised crime, professional standards and local policing.
On a national level, Mr Stephens has played a major role in developing and modernising neighbourhood policing, and he led the implementation of the Neighbourhood Policing Guidelines in 2016. He is currently the chair of the NPCC Finance Coordination Committee, as well as the national Communications Advisory Group.
Mr Stephens said: “I feel very honoured to have been elected the next chair for the NPCC.
“I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues and leading the organisation to build on the fantastic work they’ve done so far in improving policing and keep our communities safe and feeling safe. I am as excited about and motivated by policing today, as I was as a new recruit.
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all colleagues who placed their confidence in me in the election process, and I look forward to representing them to the best of my ability.”
He added: “It has been an incredible privilege to serve the communities of Surrey for most of my policing career. It is a fantastic county with passionate and supportive communities who I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside at every stage.
“I will be sad to leave the force and all our outstanding officers and staff and volunteers, but I am honoured to have been selected for this position.
“Policing is responding to some of the biggest challenges it has faced in years and I will use the passion and motivation I have for policing in order to reduce crime, get justice for victims and earn the trust necessary to support policing by consent.
“Throughout my time at Surrey Police I have been committed to keeping the force focused on what matters most to our communities. I will continue to keep the public at the heart of everything I do as I work with colleagues to address some of these pressing challenges.
“The public’s needs and expectations of policing continue to change, and it’s critical we continue to adapt to keep people safe and feeling safe.”
Chief Constable Andy Marsh, chief executive of the College of Policing, said: “I’m delighted to see Gavin take up the role of chair at the NPCC and I look forward to working closely with him to continue the work already underway to improve policing.
“Gavin is an experienced chief constable with a track record of leading operational and organisational change locally and nationally.
“The police service faces big challenges and the College of Policing will work closely with the new NPCC chair and other national policing organisations so we can fulfil the potential of the uplift of police officer numbers to cut crime, bring more offenders to justice and keep our communities safe.”
Marc Jones, chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, added: “On behalf of all police and crime commissioners I want to congratulate Gavin in his new role.
“This is a pivotal time for policing and while there will be issues we need to tackle, I am confident that we can collaborate effectively with Gavin and the NPCC to build on the essential work to improve public confidence and deliver a service which meets the needs of the communities in which we serve.”