New chief constable installed at GMP
£200,000-A-YEAR OFFICER CHARGED WITH TURNING AROUND FORCE
THE new chief constable tasked with turning around Greater Manchester Police will be Steve Watson.
He was among a trio of candidates interviewed on Tuesday.
He was formally announced as the preferred candidate of mayor Andy Burnham yesterday before being formally installed as the new leader of GMP.
His salary will be in the region of £200,000 but he will have a tough job revitalising what is regarded as a failing force.
He has an impressive CV, though. With 28 years in policing behind him, he has served in Lancashire, Merseyside and the Metropolitan Police, where he was in charge of nine boroughs.
He was a senior commander during the 2012 London Olympics, and later joined Durham before landing the top job at South Yorkshire Police, where he is the current chief constable.
Mr Watson will replace Ian Hopkins, who was forced out of his job by Mr Burnham last year following a highly critical report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary. The watchdog estimated the force failed to record 80,000 crimes in one year.
Mr Hopkins remains on the payroll even though he has stepped down – it means the force is currently paying for two chief constables, Mr Hopkins and the acting chief constable, Ian Pilling.
Others interviewed for the top job were the current Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire, Craig Guildford, and Mr Pilling. It is believed GMP old boy Nick Adderley, the current chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, did not apply.