Glos Police Chief Confirmed

We followed the procedure set out by the College of Policing and I am delighted the Police and Crime Panel has agreed with us that Suzette is the best person for the job.

She was the outstanding candidate in a very strong field and having met with her today, the panel has confirmed our judgement. I am looking forward to working with her to provide the best possible police service for Gloucestershire.

The IPCC investigation is a matter of public record and I have been completely open about it throughout the recruitment process.

I made the interview board fully aware of it and, where possible, I have answered questions from the media.

As I have said before, until the investigation is completed I am restricted in what I can say but I am confident there will be a positive outcome.

In the meantime, I am grateful to the Police Commissioner for his support and the endorsement of the Police and Crime Panel.

The whole process has restored my faith in fairness and justice and I am very much looking forward to starting my new job.

I am very proud and excited to be coming to Gloucestershire and having met a number of my new colleagues already, I can’t wait to get started.

"The Police and Crime Panel accept the recommendation of the Police and Crime Commissioner for the appointment of Suzette Davenport as Gloucestershire’s Chief Constable, subject to her categorical assurances regarding the IPCC investigation.

However, the Police and Crime Panel must record our serious concerns over the appointment process undertaken by the Commissioner’s office. We believe that the issue of the IPCC investigation was not properly considered.

Specifically, interview panel members did not have sufficient information to balance the candidate’s performance against the risks to Gloucestershire Constabulary. The Panel have subsequently explored these issues, including being appraised of all available information.”