Police Scotland appoints Durham’s Jo Farrell as new chief constable

She will take over from Sir Iain Livingstone QPM, who retires in August.

Ms Farrell has been the chief constable of Durham Constabulary since 2019 and was the first woman to hold the post in the force’s 180-year history.

She now becomes the first female chief constable at Police Scotland.

Announcing the appointment on Wednesday (June 14), Martyn Evans, chair of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and the selection panel, said: “I am delighted to have had such an excellent calibre of applicants to this important role and now announce the appointment of Jo Farrell as the next chief constable of Police Scotland.

“Jo is an outstanding and highly experienced senior police leader who has made an exceptional contribution to policing over her extensive career.

“With a proven history of innovative policing, Ms Farrell has led Durham Constabulary for the last four years where it was graded as ‘outstanding’ for its disruption of organised crime and how it achieves value for money.

“She also has UK-wide experience heading the demanding Digital Data and Technology portfolio for the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

“As chief constable of Police Scotland, Jo Farrell will bring exceptional professionalism, building on the high level of policing operational stability and effectiveness achieved in recent years and further accelerate the culture change programmes. I look forward to working with her.”

Ms Farrell’s  appointment will be for a fixed term of four years with the possibility of extension in line with legislation.

The SPA said her appointment was approved by Scottish ministers in accordance with the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 and follows a “robust assessment and selection process”.

Ms Farrell said: “This really is a day of mixed emotions. I am immensely proud to have served as chief constable of Durham and equally proud of everything the force has achieved over that time.

“Over the last six years, I have worked with some extraordinarily talented and committed people, dedicated to keeping County Durham and Darlington safe, and it has been a very difficult decision to leave.

“But as chief constable of Police Scotland I have been offered a unique opportunity to take on one of the most exciting and challenging jobs in UK policing.”

Police Scotland’s current chief constable Sir Iain added: “I congratulate Jo Farrell and look forward to working with her to ensure an effective handover that will maintain stability in Police Scotland.

“Leading our outstanding officers and staff as Scotland’s chief constable is an enormous privilege. I have great confidence Jo will continue to develop our service to protect and serve our fellow citizens.”

Craig Naylor, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland, welcomed the appointment.

He said: “I was invited to provide assurance that the process was fair, open and transparent and have written to the chair of the SPA confirming this and recognising the significant investment the candidates brought to this process and the high standards that they demonstrated.

“I would like to extend my congratulations to the next chief constable and look forward to building on close and effective relationships between Police Scotland and HMICS while we all strive to improve policing across Scotland.”

Justice Secretary Angela Constance welcomed the appointment of Ms Farrell as Police Scotland’s first female chief constable.

Ms Constance, who approved the SPA’s appointment, said: “I am delighted that Jo Farrell has been appointed as Police Scotland’s new chief constable following the SPA’s rigorous selection process.

“Jo is the first women to be appointed to this role. As the force marks its tenth anniversary year, she has shown she has the skills needed to lead the service into the next decade and meet the challenges ahead.

“Thanks to the dedication and work of the police, recorded crime rates overall are at record low levels and we have a service that is unique in the UK with an embedded human rights focus.

“Policing will continue to be an absolute priority for this government, as evidenced by the £1.45 billion we have allocated to support it in 2023/24. I look forward to working with the new chief constable as the service continues to build on its significant strengths.

“I also want to pay tribute to Sir Iain for his bold leadership and wider service to keeping communities safe during a lengthy, distinguished career in policing. He leaves Police Scotland in great shape after leading it through unprecedented times.”

David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), said: “The SPF congratulate the new chief constable and is looking forward to working closely with her in what will be a challenging time.”

After graduating with a degree in Business at Sheffield Polytechnic, in 1991, Ms Farrell “achieved her childhood ambition” by joining the police as a constable in Cambridge. In 2002, she joined Northumbria Police, initially as a chief inspector, before being promoted to assistant chief constable, with responsibility for response and neighbourhood policing as well as the communications department.

Ms Farrell joined Durham Constabulary in November 2016 as deputy chief constable and was appointed chief constable in 2019.

Throughout her time at the helm, Durham Constabulary has placed a renewed focus on tackling high harm offences such as violent crime, sexual offences, domestic abuse and launched a radical new approach to the investigation of rape and serious sexual offences.