I have today (24 June 2016) completed the process for selecting my preferred candidate for appointment as Chief Constable of Cleveland Police.
I have selected Iain Spittal.
I will be asking the Police & Crime Panel to confirm the appointment of Mr Spittal, at a hearing on 6 July 2016.
The decision to recommend the appointment was made by a panel chaired by me.
Panel members were the former Chief Constable of West Midlands Chris Sims (acting as my policing advisor), Stockton Council Chief Executive Neil Schneider (in the capacity of independent member representing partner organisations) Denise Curtis-Haigh (Head of People & Diversity for Cleveland Police) and my Chief Executive Simon Dennis.
As Police & Crime Commissioner, I was also advised as part of the process, by a full stakeholder panel.
The panel included representatives of the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner; the community Independent Advisory Group; Show Racism the Red Card; UNISON, the Police Federation and Superintendents’ Association; the Community Rehabilitation Company; the Victim Care and Advice Service; and the Joint Cleveland Independent Audit Committee.
Mr Spittal was the sole candidate for appointment and set out a strong portfolio of responses to questions posed to him by the Panel.
The panel tested his suitability for appointment in the following key personal and professional areas:
- Serving the Public
- Leading Strategic Change
- Leading the Workforce
- Managing Performance
- Professionalism
- Decision Making
- Working with Others
Mr Spittal expressed a strong personal core motivation to devote himself to providing the best possible policing services to the communities of Cleveland. He also wanted to make sure that Cleveland’s interests are well served in the regional and national policing context.
I will be commending his appointment to the Police & Crime Panel and subject to their approval, will look to appoint Mr Spittal to the role for a term of up to four years. Subject to the Panel’s approval, I intend to exercise the discretion available to me under Home Officer Circular 25/2012 which permits a Police & Crime Commissioner upon appointment of a candidate, to vary the rate set by the government for the Chief Constable’s salary by up to ten percent. The salary I intend to offer is therefore £150,846.30 per annum. My rationale for extending this offer to the candidate is as follows:
- The candidate has shown outstanding merit in the course of the rigorous application procedure and amply commanded the confidence of my advisory stakeholder panel;
- Deliver outstanding police services to the communities of Cleveland over the next four years;
- Deliver the policing objectives set by my Police & Crime Plan across the four-year life-cycle of the Plan
- Successfully implement the ‘Towards 2020’ vision and plan for Cleveland Police
- Drive forward the key programme of organisation development under the ‘Everyone Matters’ banner.
- I am satisfied that it is vital that Cleveland Police should have outstanding and stable leadership in any event and in order to
Mr Spittal has indicated that he is committed to the delivery of these key strategic aims notwithstanding his eligibility to retire from policing in autumn 2016.
With all of this in mind, Mr Spittal has left me in no doubt as to his commitment to driving forward change for the benefit of the communities of Cleveland.
I am satisfied that it is appropriate to recognise and reflect this commitment in the remuneration to be offered to the candidate.
Decision 6918. Preferred Candidate for Chief Constable (application, 151kB)