New deputy chief constable for GMP

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has appointed Simon Byrne as its new deputy chief constable.
Currently assistant chief constable for Merseyside Police, Mr Byrne replaces previous DCC David Whatton, who has become chief constable of Cheshire Constabulary.
Mr Byrne is expected to take up the five-year appointment within the next three months. His key responsibilities will include strategy development, day-to-day force management, overseeing of promotions (up to superintendent) and discipline and professional standards.
Mr Byrne was selected from six strong candidates by the nine members of Greater Manchester Police Authority’s appointments panel following a two-day interview process.
Appointments panel chairman and chairman of the authority, Councillor Paul Murphy, said: “GMP is one of the largest forces in the country. Our officers are among the best there is and our chief officer vacancies always attract the highest calibre of applicants.
“The interview process is designed to ensure the most suitable candidate for the role is appointed and that has certainly been the case.”
Mr Byrne has been assistant chief constable of operations for Cheshire since June 2006. He has previous experience in uniform, CID and headquarters roles. He was the BCU commander for Knowsley and oversaw the introduction of neighbourhood policing there between 2002 and 2004. He is the national lead for cannabis policing, automatic number plate recognition intercept tactics for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and problem solving for the Home Office.