Chief vows to improve police force as he unveils his command team

THE CHIEF Constable of South Yorkshire said “massive positive energy” was being used to reshape the county’s police force as he revealed the officers who would make up his senior command team.

Stephen Watson, who took over scandal-hit South Yorkshire Police after former chief David Crompton was forced to resign, is one of five recently-appointed officers at the top of the organisation.

New Assistant Chief Constables David Hartley and Lauren Poultney complete the line-up, which consists of Mr Watson, Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts and Assistant Chief Constable Tim Forber.

In March, the force, which has been beset by a series of recent controversies, was also criticised by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, who gave it a rating of ‘requires improvement’ for its effectiveness. It was said to have made a “step backwards” because of changes to neighbourhood policing which “weakened its ability to be effective in tackling threats”.

The Chief Constable said: “South Yorkshire Police is an organisation which is full of committed, resilient and operationally competent people.

“I have the daily privilege to observe outstanding examples of talented and brave people doing their duty to the betterment of our shared community lives.

“We know, however, that we are capable of improving still further and massive positive energy is currently being applied to the task of getting the shape of the force right so that our collective performance is more reflective of the quality of our people and the legitimate requirements of our public.”