Change at the top for Police Scotland

A new deputy chief constable designate will be recommended to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) after the surprise announcement of Iain Livingstone’s retirement. Johnny Gwynne, the current DCC for Operational Support, was revealed as the favourite to take over Police Scotland’s second highest role on Wednesday (August 2). Mr Gwynne, who began his police career in Northern Ireland in 1985 and later served with Strathclyde Police, will be recommended to be appointed by the SPA in the autumn. John Hawkins, assistant chief constable for Local Policing Approaches, will also take on responsibility for local policing in the north of Scotland when ACC Andy Cowie retires later this year. The restructure comes just weeks after Mr Livingstone announced he would retire from policing after just 25 years’ service. Mr Livingstone, who had been widely tipped as Police Scotland’s next chief constable, simply said it was “the right time” for him to leave and “take up new challenges”. Former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said the announcement had come “clean out of the blue”. Mr Livingstone’s retirement raised questions over the succession to Mr when his contract ends in December 2018. Mr Gwynne has more than 32 years’ service and the other DCC, Rose Fitzpatrick, has already extended her contract. Mr Gwynne has previously served as lead for covert policing in Scotland and as deputy director of the National Crime Agency’s Organised Crime Command. He was appointed director of the Child Exploitation Online Protection centre (CEOP) in 2013.