West Midlands Police appoints four new assistant chief constables
West Midlands Police has confirmed the appointment of four new assistant chief constables following what it described as “a challenging selection process”.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford said the appointments reflect applicants who “want to work in a busy force which is continuing to make solid improvement gains across the board despite its structural fiscal challenges”.
Detective Chief Superintendent Damian Barratt joins from West Mercia Police and will take up the assistant chief constable position with responsibility for the security portfolio.
With 28 years’ service spanning a number of local and regional crime senior investigating officer postings, West Midlands Police said he “brings a wealth of investigative and operational experience which will help lead and shape the regional serious and organised crime response along with regional and national counter terrorism leadership”.
Det Chief Supt Barratt has also undertaken several periods of temporary assistant chief constable duties in West Mercia over the past two years having passed the Strategic Command Course in 2021.
Detective Chief Superintendent Jennie Mattinson will move from Staffordshire Police where she leads on public protection after having undertaken a period of temporary assistant chief constable duties at the force over the past 18 months.
She has 22 years’ service with an extensive portfolio of operational command experience in public protection, local policing, crime and change management. She will head up the crime portfolio at West Midlands Police.
T/Assistant Chief Constable Matt Welsted has been on secondment with West Midlands Police from Cheshire Constabulary where he was a temporary assistant chief constable for three years. He will retain his current portfolio, which includes contact, change and digital.
West Midlands Police said Mr Welsted and his team have helped the force “achieve a seismic shift in call handling performance over the past six months”.
He has 27 years’ service and is a specialist firearms commander with an extensive track record in leading complex change and IT programmes, including reactive facial recognition technology.
T/Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara has led force operations in the West Midlands after having been a local policing commander at Coventry during his 25 years’ service.
He leads a number of regional collaborations and working groups and supports the national firearms portfolio in helping develop command and specialist firearms training delivery in the West Midlands. He will remain in his current post.
The new appointments were welcomed by Mr Guildford who chaired the board along with Debbie Tedds, chief constable of Warwickshire Police, and West Midlands Police Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green. The process was overseen by director of people and commercial services Peter Gillett.
“These appointments will continue to build upon our new local policing model where we are answering more calls for service, arresting more suspects, investigating more offences, charging more people and responding to local issues with local officers in order to keep the public safe,” said Mr Guildford.
“My new colleagues will lead big business areas where change is a constant, demand is unstinting and the workforce are eager to serve.
“West Midlands Police has some exceptionally capable officers and staff of all backgrounds. What better a diverse challenge could one wish for professionally as a newly appointed assistant chief constable.”