South Yorkshire Police set to lose Chief Constable after he is offered top job in Manchester

South Yorkshire’s Chief Constable is set to leave the post after he was offered the top police job in Manchester for a reported £200,000-a-year salary.
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Chf Con Watson, who has been at the helm in South Yorkshire since 2016, has been named as the ‘preferred candidate’ for the role of Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police after a successful interview.

He will face the Greater Manchester Police Crime and Fire Panel at the end of this week, where he will give a presentation before members will vote on whether to ratify the nomination.

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Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, who is backing Mr Watson, said: “This has been a challenging period for Greater Manchester Police but I am confident that we have found the right person to lead the force into a new era.

South Yorkshire's Chief Constable, Stephen WatsonSouth Yorkshire's Chief Constable, Stephen Watson
South Yorkshire's Chief Constable, Stephen Watson

“Chief Constable Watson has a proven record of improving police performance and establishing the positive, accountable, victim-centred culture that I have said I want to see. I hope the Panel will support our recommendation and open a new chapter for policing in Greater Manchester.”

During his tenure at South Yorkshire Police, the force has been ranked as the most improved force in the country for three consecutive years. He was appointed following a troubled period which included the child sexual exploitation scandal in Rotherham, where victims were said to have been let down by the force.

Mr Watson is renowned as one of the most experienced senior police officers in the country, having started his career in Lancashire in 1988.

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He moved to Merseyside Police in 2006 before being promoted to a commander in London’s Metropolitan Police in 2011, where he was responsible for all aspects of operational policing across nine boroughs.

As a qualified firearms and public order commander, he was a senior member of the 2012 Olympic Command Team and was officially recognised for his work, which involved the planning and delivery of all territorial policing across London throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In June 2015, he spent a year as Deputy Chief Constable for Durham Constabulary before taking the top job in South Yorkshire.

He was awarded the Queens Police Medal for distinguished service in 2019.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.