Scotland’s new deputy chief constables unveiled - and they earn more than old police chiefs

• Four new deputies will earn £169,000 a year and will report to Steve House, Scotland’s first ever chief constable

• Ms Fitzpatrick will head up territorial policing, whilst Mr Allen will take responsibility for Commonwealth Games and other major events

Neil Richardson of Strathclyde, Iain Livingstone and Steve Allen of Lothian and Borders, and Rose Fitzpatrick, most recently of the Metropolitan Police, will report to Chief Constable Steve House.

The new deputies are set to be on higher salaries than most of Scotland’s current chief constables, with only the Strathclyde chief earning more.

Each deputy will be on a four-year contract with an annual salary of £169,600. Mr House will see his annual pay increase from £181,673 to £208,100.

The salaries show that by moving from eight chief constables to one, plus four deputies, the Scottish Government will save about £220,000.

So far, four of Scotland’s chief officers come from the country’s two biggest forces – Strathclyde, and Lothian and Borders – with none from the remaining six.

Police Scotland also has a growing Metropolitan Police influence, with Mr House, Mr Allen and Ms Fitzpatrick having served in the London force.

Mr Richardson, who carried out a lot of the early work of shaping the new force, will continue to have the reform brief and as the “deputy designate” will be most likely to step up in Mr House’s absence.

Mr Livingstone will head crime and operational support, including the new Specialist Crime Directorate, which will cover murders, drugs, counter-terrorism and border security.

The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in 2014, will fall under Mr Allen’s remit, along with other major events.

Ms Fitzpatrick, whose husband is Scottish and who left the Met earlier this year in the hope of securing a job north of the Border, will be in charge of territorial policing, a role she held with the London force.

A further six assistant chief constables are to be appointed in the coming weeks.

Mr House said: “These officers will be responsible for leading policing and delivering for the public across all communities, ensuring the public are protected from harm and that Police Scotland keeps people safe.”

However, Martin Greig, convener of the Grampian Joint Police Board, said it was disappointing that the north of Scotland was not represented among the appointments. “There’s a genuine worry that our local interests and policing needs will not be effectively articulated and fought for,” said Mr Greig.

“The whole thing is a power grab for central government and the central belt,” he added.

There are also concerns about chief officers’ salaries at a time of austerity and when the single force itself faces tough saving

targets.

The Scottish Government expects to save £1.7 million over 15 years through the merger of eight police and fire services into one of each.

Robert Oxley of Taxpayer Scotland warned: “The Scottish Government should not use reforms to policing as a smokescreen to give the top brass a pay hike. Senior officers will have to make some tough choices and a pay increase will undermine their moral authority to take those decisions.”

However, the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) is confident the new recruits will prove good value for money.

Vic Emery, chairman of the SPA, who led the recruitment process, with Mr House also taking part, said: “They bring a wealth of experience of delivering local policing, with an understanding that modern policing must also be capable of responding to and anticipating national and international threats.

“Each will play a crucial role in supporting the chief Constable and the authority in the coming months to ensure the service is ready for day one, and that the quality of police service that the public rightly expect is maintained.”

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Neil Richardson

Previous post: Deputy chief constable at Strathclyde.

Background: Rose quickly through the ranks after joining Lothian and Borders Police in 1985.

Helped shape the new single force by drawing on skills and experience of people working on the frontline.

Steve Allen

Previous post: Deputy chief constable at Lothian and Borders.

Background: Worked alongside Steve House at the Met, he moved to Scotland in 2010. An early supporter of a single force, he is a modern leader with a strong record in areas such as diversity and honour-based violence.

Iain Livingstone

Previous post: Assistant chief constable at Lothian and Borders.

Background: The Aberdeen University graduate, a father-of-three, headed up CID at Lothian and Borders.Was the senior officer during the G8 protests, and will lead the fight against major crime at Police Scotland.

Rose Fitzpatrick

Previous post: Deputy assistant commissioner at the Met.

Background: Since joining the City of London Police in 1987, she has spent her entire career in the English capital. In 2004, she was seconded to the prime minister’s strategy unit. She has two step-daughters.