New chief constable appointed in Staffordshire
An officer has taken on his first permanent chief constable post after returning to the midlands to lead Staffordshire Police.
An officer has taken on his first permanent chief constable post after returning to the midlands to lead Staffordshire Police.
Gareth Morgan will take charge of the force at the earliest opportunity subject to ratification by the police and crime panel.
Mr Morgan, who currently serves as deputy chief constable for Avon and Somerset Constabulary, has already served at the highest rank on a temporary basis after former Chief Constable Nick Gargan was asked to resign.
He replaces outgoing Chief Constable Jane Sawyers, who announced her intention to retire last October.
Matthew Ellis, police and crime commissioner for Staffordshire, said: We had exceptionally strong candidates for the position, but Gareth demonstrated the knowledge and breadth of experience needed to take the force through the huge period of change needed over the coming months to meet the ever-changing face of crime and evolving threats.
Mr Morgan first joined West Midlands Police in 1987 before joining the Accelerated Promotion Scheme.
In 2000, he attended the FBI National Academy at Quantico and on his return to the force was appointed a detective chief inspector to Sandwell.
After becoming a superintendent in 2002, he was seconded to the Home Office where he worked in the Police Standards Unit, and returned to the West Midlands in 2003.
In the following years, Mr Morgan was appointed Head of Training for the force, became the police lead for Children and Young People in Birmingham, and oversaw a newly-created Public Protection Department.
In 2012, he was appointed assistant chief constable for local policing of Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police, before joining Avon and Somerset Constabulary as deputy chief constable in July 2015.
He led the force from September 2015 until the following February, when Andy Marsh was announced as Mr Gargans full-time replacement.