The search to find the next Chief Constable of Cleveland Police will continue, as a preferred candidate to lead the force has yet to be found.
Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner launched recruitment for Cleveland’s new police chief in August, after Chief Constable Richard Lewis gave notice to take up post as the leader of Dyfed-Powys Police.
To assist in finding the right candidate for Cleveland, a rigorous recruitment and assessment process was developed in partnership with the College of Policing, the national centre of excellence for police leadership and recruitment.
Candidates faced a robust three-part process, involving over 20 stakeholders:
• An internal panel made up of police officers, staff and volunteers, as well as representatives from a range of staff networks and associations.
• An external panel consisting of local and regional partners.
• A final appointment panel of six experienced leaders, chaired by the PCC.
Mr Turner said: “Cleveland is not an easy place to police, and therefore we need an exceptional Chief Constable who has the extensive skills and experience to handle the significant challenges the force faces.
“We held a rigorous process, with two days of interviews and a total of 26 people sitting over three different panels to assess candidates. This is not only a major challenge for candidates, but allows me to ensure fairness and diversity of opinion is protected at all stages of the process.
“At the end of the two-day assessment process the appointment panel unanimously agreed with my decision that none of the candidates were suitable for the position of Chief Constable in Cleveland at this time.”
“On behalf of our three panels, I thank the candidates we interviewed for their participation and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
“This is a setback I would prefer we didn’t face, however we will now set about considering alternative options to fill the role of Chief Constable”.
The Commissioner’s Office will now draw up plans to look at interim arrangements for the role of Chief Constable, prior to any further recruitment exercise being undertaken.