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01/07/2019
First Day For New PSNI Chief Constable
Today, Monday 01 July, marks the first day on the job for the new PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne.
The 56-year-old senior police officer succeeds Sir George Hamilton, who is retiring after five years in the post.
Mr Byrne's policing experience includes three years leading the Cheshire force up until 2017, after acting as deputy chief constable of the Greater Manchester Police from 2009 to 2011. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 2016 New Year Honours List.
Mr Byrne will be formally sworn in this afternoon and said he is privileged to be leading the "great service that is working hard to serve our community".
In his first message to the public, he said: "I'd like to say how proud and privileged I am to have been asked by the Policing Board to lead this great organisation as it continues its work to police Northern Ireland around the clock and keep you safe.
"My initial priorities are to get out and about across the country to hear first hand what makes the organisation tick, and to see as many of our communities as possible. Then to build on the work of those who have gone before me, to keep bringing down crime, see how we need to respond to new and changing amounts of crime, as well as contributing more to the criminal justice system to making it more effective and to speed up justice for victims."
The new police chief also said there is more work to be done to improve how representative the organisation is of Northern Ireland's communities.
Outgoing Chief Constable Sir George Hamilton reflected on his time in office and 34 years as a police officer. Writing on Twitter, he said: "It is time to hang up my boots. Serving the community as Chief Constable has been the greatest honour.
"I wish CC Simon Byrne and the PSNI every success in the future."
(JG/CM)
The 56-year-old senior police officer succeeds Sir George Hamilton, who is retiring after five years in the post.
Mr Byrne's policing experience includes three years leading the Cheshire force up until 2017, after acting as deputy chief constable of the Greater Manchester Police from 2009 to 2011. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 2016 New Year Honours List.
Mr Byrne will be formally sworn in this afternoon and said he is privileged to be leading the "great service that is working hard to serve our community".
In his first message to the public, he said: "I'd like to say how proud and privileged I am to have been asked by the Policing Board to lead this great organisation as it continues its work to police Northern Ireland around the clock and keep you safe.
"My initial priorities are to get out and about across the country to hear first hand what makes the organisation tick, and to see as many of our communities as possible. Then to build on the work of those who have gone before me, to keep bringing down crime, see how we need to respond to new and changing amounts of crime, as well as contributing more to the criminal justice system to making it more effective and to speed up justice for victims."
The new police chief also said there is more work to be done to improve how representative the organisation is of Northern Ireland's communities.
Outgoing Chief Constable Sir George Hamilton reflected on his time in office and 34 years as a police officer. Writing on Twitter, he said: "It is time to hang up my boots. Serving the community as Chief Constable has been the greatest honour.
"I wish CC Simon Byrne and the PSNI every success in the future."
(JG/CM)
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