New Chief Constable of Police Scotland appointed
Mr Gormley (right) will take up the post on 5 January 2016.
With over 30 years’ experience in UK policing and law enforcement, Mr Gormley has since 2013 held the position of Deputy Director General of the UK’s National Crime Agency.
The appointment was made on the recommendation of the SPA and was approved by Scottish Ministers.
Announcing the appointment, SPA Chair Andrew Flanagan said: “The SPA has appointed Phil Gormley as the next Chief Constable of Police Scotland, following a rigorous appointment process. From a strong field, I am confident we have found the best candidate to build on the progress that policing in Scotland has made, and to address the issues and challenges that the service faces.
“He has extensive experience in leading law enforcement organisations with diverse workforces, operating across both rural and urban environments, and with local, national and international reach. That mix fits well with the needs of a single service here in Scotland.
”The new Chief Constable has challenges he will want to quickly address: re-engaging our workforce, tackling budget challenges, and bringing stability to the planning and implementation of organisational change.
“That is however just the start. We set out to find a leader with the vision to energise officers and staff towards innovative new approaches in the prevention of crime, and someone to reach out and build a strong connection between the single service and the local communities it serves. Those are key strengths we have identified in him and that he will bring to the wider police team.”
Phil Gormley said: “I am delighted to have this opportunity to serve the many communities of Scotland as their Chief Constable. I believe I have the skills, the experience, and the insight required to lead the amazing workforce we have across Police Scotland. I have a 30 year career in policing and law enforcement, the last 13 years as a chief officer leading organisations delivering for the public in a period of profound transformation for policing. Police Scotland is on just such a journey and it will be my job to ensure our service strikes the right balance between local community approaches, and the many challenges we face from organised criminals, cybercrime and extremism. I am very excited and passionate about this unique professional and personal challenge, and I am looking forward to getting to work with my new team.”