Gavin Stephens appointed to lead National Police Chiefs’ Council

Chief constables were invited to apply for the post of NPCC chairin October. Chief constable Gavin Stephens applied for the post and, in accordance with election rules, has been appointed.

Stephens has worked in policing for nearly 30 years, first joining the Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1993 and then Surrey Police in 1996, where he has been working for over two decades now, serving in every rank up to the role of chief constable.

He was initially based in East Surrey on neighbourhood policing and went on to roles in serious and organised crime, professional standards and local policing.

On a national level, Stephens has played a major role in developing and modernising neighbourhood policing. He led the implementation of the Neighbourhood Policing Guidelines in 2016.

Stephens is currently chair of the NPCC’s Finance Co-ordination Committee, as well as chair of the national Communications Advisory Group.

Leading the organisation

Speaking about the news, chief constable Gavin Stephens said: “I feel very honoured to have been elected the next chair for the NPCC. I’m looking forward to working with my new colleagues and leading the organisation to build on the fantastic work already done to improve policing and keep our communities safe. I’m every bit as excited about and motivated by policing today as I was when I was a new recruit.”

Stephens added: “I would also like to take this opportunity to say ‘Thank You’ to all those colleagues who placed their confidence in me during the election process. I now look forward to representing them to the best of my ability.”

Current NPCC chair Martin Hewitt responded: “I’m delighted that Gavin will be the new chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council from April 2023. He is an exceptional chief constable who brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience. I have no doubt that he will bring that to bear as he leads the NPCC in the important role that it will continue to play in the coming years.”

Andy Marsh, chief constable at the College of Policing, commented: “I’m delighted to see Gavin take up the role of chair at the National Police Chiefs’ Council and I look forward to working closely with him to continue the work already underway to improve policing. Gavin is an experienced chief constable with a track record of leading operational and organisational change locally and nationally.”

Marsh added: “The police service faces big challenges and the College of Policing will work closely with the new NPCC chair and other national policing organisations such that we can fulfil the potential of the uplift of police officer numbers to cut crime, bring more offenders to justice and, ultimately, keep our communities safe.”

Pivotal time for policing

Marc Jones, chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, stated: “On behalf of all Police and Crime Commissioners, I want to congratulate Gavin on his new role. This is a pivotal time for policing and, while there will be issues we need to tackle, I’m confident that we can collaborate effectively with Gavin and the NPCC to build on the essential work to improve public confidence and deliver a police service which meets the needs of the communities in which we serve.”

As an organisation, the NPCC brings UK police leaders together to set direction in policing and drive progress for the public. It does this through:

*co-ordination – joining up the operational response to critical national policing issues to deliver policing today and shape the future

*collaboration – working in partnership as part of the whole policing system and beyond to improve public safety

*communication – sharing the collective expertise, views and action of UK police chiefs with the public and Government