Submitted by Caroline Tozer
The new chief of police for the Cheshire Constabulary has been announced.
Mark Roberts was confirmed as the new boss in a Cheshire Police and Crime Committee hearing and is assisted by Police and Crime Officer David Keane.
DCC Roberts, who is currently the deputy chief of police for the South Yorkshire Police, was announced as the commissioner’s preferred candidate for the role earlier this week after a rigorous interview process backed by key executives in Cheshire and the College of Policing.
He previously served as deputy chief of police with the Cheshire Police Department for three years before joining the South Yorkshire force. He will return to Cheshire Constabulary when current Police Chief Darren Martland retires this spring.
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David said, “I would like to thank the panel for their assistance in appointing Mark as the new Chief of Police for Cheshire.
“I really believe that he is the best person for the job, with the skills and experience necessary to advance my vision that Cheshire is the best police force in the country to do truly local, community-based policing.
“He has performed exceptionally well throughout the recruitment process and will bring great leadership skills and the passion and commitment required to keep Cheshire people safe.
“Mark’s experience in providing local policing is extensive, and he advocates the approach of using problem-solving techniques to work with local people and make every community safer.
“I look forward to working with him to further develop our model of community police and ensure Cheshire remains one of the safest places to live, work and visit in the country.”
DCC Roberts has a long career in uniform and investigative roles beginning with the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in 1993. During his 20 years with one of the largest police forces in the country, he played an active role in high profile incidents and investigations. At the time, he was also the head of investigations for the Northwest Counter-Terrorism Division.
He moved to Cheshire Constabulary in 2014 to lead local policing across the county and create the eight local police units we have in Cheshire today. His tenure coincided with a crime rate reduction and an “excellent” inspection by Her Majesty’s Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
In recent years with the South Yorkshire Police (SYP), Mark has been a leader in performance, discipline and complaints, legal advice and corporate communications. During this time, the SYP was the country’s most improved armed force for three years in a row and is now one of the frontrunners of high-performance troops.
Mark is also the national director for football police and covert law and guidance. He was responsible for assisting the UK Police at EURO 2016, the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and recently completed an independent review of the Football Police on behalf of Police Scotland.
DCC Mark Roberts added, “I am proud to be sustained as the next Cheshire Constabulary Chief of Police and look forward to working with his officers and staff, the Commissioner and local partners to deliver outstanding service to all communities in the county Offer.
“After serving as ACC in Cheshire, I know we have a great team that really cares about the civil service. The armed forces are already working well and my job is to build on the work of Darren and the team to provide our staff with the support and guidance that will put us at the forefront of UK policing.
“I am determined to bring my previous experience in Cheshire, GMP, the South Yorkshire Police, and my national roles on behalf of the police force, so that we can continue to keep Cheshire as a safe place for the public and a bad place for the public to be criminal.
“I am passionate about local policing and problem solving, in line with the approach taken by the police and the commissioner, and have extensive experience in serious crime, counter-terrorism and public order.”
