The Northern Ireland Policing Board has appointed George Hamilton as the new Chief Constable for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
A nine Member appointment panel interviewed three candidates for the post today at the Board’s Clarendon Dock offices. The appointment was approved by the Justice Minister.
Welcoming the appointment Board Chair Anne Connolly said:
"I am pleased to announce that the Policing Board has appointed ACC George Hamilton as the new PSNI Chief Constable. The position has been accepted and the formal date of appointment will be confirmed in the next number of days.
ACC Hamilton brings wide ranging experience to this important job and has the necessary skills to lead the PSNI forward. As a Board, we are looking forward to working closely with the new Chief Constable in dealing with the issues facing policing and agreeing a programme of work that supports community confidence in policing.”
The Chair of the Board also thanked the unsuccessful candidates, she said,
“The Board was very impressed with the calibre of candidates who applied for the Chief Constable job. They had a vast amount of policing expertise and I would like to thank each of them for their interest.
Ends
For more information please contact the Board’s Communications Office on 07801 738795
Notes to Editors
- The appointment panel comprised: Board Chair Anne Connolly, Jonathan Craig MLA, Brice Dickson, Ross Hussey MLA, Dolores Kelly MLA, Gerry Kelly MLA, Chris Lyttle MLA, Joan O’Hagan and Gearóid Ó hEára.
- The salary for this position is in accordance with nationally agreed Chief Officers pay. This is currently £195,483 per annum plus benefits.
- The Chief Constable appointment is made by the Policing Board in accordance with Section 35 of the Police (NI) Act 2000. The appointment was subject to the approval of the Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland.
- Pen Picture: ACC George Hamilton is responsible for District Policing Rural which covers an area of approximately 11,700 square kilometres and a population of approximately 900,00. This is delivered through 4 District Command Units each led by a Chief Superintendent. ACC Hamilton's policing experience started in 1985 when he joined the RUC. Since then he has a wide range of experience in a variety of operational roles. Prior to his appointment as ACC Crime in Strathclyde in 2009 he had been Chief Superintendent and District Commander in B District (South and East Belfast). He also served as Detective Chief Inspector and Detective Superintendent where he was involved in a number of high profile and complex investigations. He has also worked in England for three years on a range of training and organisational development projects. ACC Hamilton holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Politics and Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Association.
Notes ends