Cheshire’s new chief constable confirmed

Mark Roberts has been confirmed as Cheshire Constabulary’s new chief constable following a confirmation hearing by Cheshire’s police and crime panel.

The panel has confirmed it is supportive of police and crime commissioner David Keane’s appointment at its virtual meeting this afternoon (Friday 12 March).

DCC Roberts, who is currently deputy chief constable at South Yorkshire Police, was announced as the commissioner’s preferred candidate for the role earlier this week following rigorous interview process which was supported by key leaders across Cheshire and the College of Policing.

He previously served with Cheshire Police for three years as assistant chief constable before moving to the South Yorkshire force. He will return to Cheshire Constabulary when current chief constable Darren Martland retires in the spring.

David said: “I’d like to thank the Panel for its support in my appointment of Mark as the new chief constable for Cheshire.

“I really believe he is the best person for the job and has the necessary skills and experience to drive forward my vision for Cheshire to be the best police service in the country for delivering truly local, community-based policing.

“He performed exceptionally well throughout the recruitment process and will bring with him great leadership skills and the passion and dedication needed to keep Cheshire residents safe.

“Mark’s experience in delivering local policing is extensive and he advocates the approach of using problem-solving methods to work with local people to make every community safer.

“I look forward to working with him to further develop our community policing model and ensure Cheshire remains one of the safest places to live, work and visit in the country.”

DCC Roberts has a long standing career working in both uniform and investigative roles which started with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in 1993. During his 20 years at one of the country’s biggest police services, he played an active role in high profile incidents and investigations. He was also Head of Investigations for the North West Counter Terrorism Unit at this time.

He moved to Cheshire Constabulary in 2014 to lead local policing across the county, creating the eight local police units we have in Cheshire today. His tenure coincided with reducing crime rates and an “outstanding” inspection from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). 

The last few years spent at South Yorkshire Police (SYP) have seen Mark lead on force performance, discipline and complaints, legal services and corporate communications. During this time, SYP has been the most improved force in the country for three consecutive years and is today amongst the very top tier of high performing forces.

Mark is also the national lead for football policing and covert legislation and guidance. He was responsible for the UK’s policing support for EURO 2016, the 2018 World Cup in Russia and has recently completed an independent review into football policing on behalf of Police Scotland.

DCC Mark Roberts added: “I am proud to be confirmed as the next chief constable of Cheshire Constabulary and look forward to working with its officers and staff, the commissioner and local partners to deliver an outstanding service to all the communities of the county.

“Having served in Cheshire as an ACC, I know that we have a great team, who genuinely care and are committed to public service. The force is already performing well and my role is to build on the work of Darren and the team to provide our people with the support and leadership that will take us to the forefront of UK policing.

“I am determined to bring my previous experience in Cheshire, GMP, South Yorkshire Police and my national roles to bear for the benefit of the Constabulary so that we can continue to keep Cheshire a safe place for the public and a bad place to be a criminal.

“I am passionate in my support for local policing and problem solving, entirely in line with the approach of the Constabulary and the commissioner, in addition to having broad experience of major crime, counter terrorism and public order.”

Pictured - PCC David Keane and DCC Mark Roberts.