03/07/2009

Five On Top Cop Shortlist

A former RUC intelligence officer from Co Down could be the next man to head up the PSNI.

It emerged today that one of the five shortlisted candidates to replace the current Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde - who is set to leave the position later this year - is Bangor man Jim Gamble.

Mr Gamble is currently Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and still lives in the seaside town.

He is well known in his current position, leading the fight against online paedophiles.

The candidate also worked in anti-terrorist intelligence in Belfast during his time in the RUC, just like former NI police chief, Sir Ronnie Flanagan.

He came from a similar background, having been in charge of Special Branch operations for a large part of his career.

In all, five top officers have been shortlisted and will go forward for interview for the £183,954 post as Chief Constable of the PSNI.

Despite females occupying increasing numbers of senior and middle management positions in the PSNI there are no women on the final list - after Cressida Dick, Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police Service - withdrew from the running.

Other shortlisted candidates are Bernard Hogan-Howe, Chief Constable of Merseyside; Matt Baggott, Chief Constable of Leicestershire; Jon Stoddart, Chief Constable of Durham and Paul West, Chief Constable of West Mercia.

A possible contender being hailed today as a front-runner to succeed Sir Hugh could be Bernard Hogan-Howe, one of the UK's most well-known officers.

Mr Hogan-Howe made headlines for his call for a "total war on crime" in Merseyside.

He applied earlier this year to succeed Sir Ian Blair as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and made it to the last four in the race for the top job in UK policing.

Interviews for the PSNI top job will take place on August 11 with the interviewing panel made up of NI Policing Board Chairman Barry Gilligan, Vice Chairman Brian Rea and MLAs Leslie Cree, Dolores Kelly, Ian Paisley jnr - who has just been found guilty of contempt of court - and Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey.

However, the final appointment will have to be approved by the Secretary of State.

There had originally been seven applicants, but along with Cressida Dick stepping down after accepting an internal promotion to Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police Service, Brian Moore, Wiltshire's Chief Constable, also withdrew from the running.

See: No Jail For Paisley Jnr Over Contempt

See: Other NI News In Brief (Ex-Cop Jailed Over Porn)

(BMcC/JM)

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