Police Scotland confirms date for new chief constable
Police Scotland has confirmed that Jo Farrell will take over as chief constable on October 9.
She replaces Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone QPM, who will leave office on August 10.
Deputy Chief Constable designate Fiona Taylor QPM will take on the responsibilities of chief constable in the interim period.
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.
The three senior officers met with Justice Secretary Angela Constance and Scottish Police Authority (SPA) chair Martyn Evans at Police Scotland headquarters, Tulliallan, on Tuesday (August 1).
Sir Iain said: “An effective handover which maintains stability in Police Scotland was a key priority in my retirement plans and I will continue to work with Fiona and Jo to that end.”
Ms Taylor added: “My focus will be on ensuring effective policing is maintained for the communities of Scotland and I will support the effective handover from Sir Iain to Chief Constable Farrell.”
Ms Farrell said: “I thank Sir Iain and Fiona for their work to ensure a smooth transition when I take command of Police Scotland.”
The leadership arrangements were agreed by the SPA, and chair Martyn Evans said: “An effective and stable handover during this leadership transition is a priority and I am grateful to Sir Iain and Jo Farrell for their commitment and support.”
Ms Constance said: “I’m pleased to meet Jo Farrell ahead of her taking up post as chief constable and looking forward to working with her in the years to come.”
In addition, the SPA confirmed that Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs will become deputy chief constable for professionalism, strategy and engagement on a temporary basis.
Chief Superintendent Faroque Hussain and Chief Superintendent Stuart Houston have been appointed as T/assistant chief constable’s to fill current vacancies.
Mr Evans said: “The Authority has made a number of temporary appointments address current requirements ahead of Sir Iain Livingstone retiring on August 10, 2023. These arrangements bring excellent skills and experience to the leadership team while it continues to drive improvement in policing.”