North Wales Police Authority has today appointed Gareth Pritchard as its new Assistant Chief Constable.
Gareth, who had been the Temporary Chief Constable for North Wales Police for 9 months, brings to the role a depth of experience gained over 26 years with the Force.
North Wales Police Authority Chairman, Alun Lewis said: “In appointing Gareth we have appointed an officer of high calibre with many years experience, including nearly a year acting in the senior position which he has now secured. We have every confidence that North Wales Police now has a management team who will cope with the challenges ahead and continue to provide an improving service to the people of North Wales.”
Welcoming Gareth’s appointment Chief Constable, Mark Polin, said: “The selection process was challenging, but Gareth demonstrated the skills and abilities he has displayed throughout the period that he has fulfilled the role in a temporary capacity. This represents the final piece in the jigsaw in terms of the chief officer team and provides the necessary continuity for us to move forward.”
As the Assistant Chief Constable, Gareth’s role encompasses the management of Force operations including, the three Territorial Divisions, Control Room, Operational Services Group and the Administration of Justice Department.
He said: “I am delighted to be appointed and am greatly looking forward to working with our staff and partners to continue to develop the operational side of the Force. I am pleased the Police Authority has the confidence in me to carry out this role. There are significant challenges ahead but we will seek to work closely with communities, to reduce and detect crime and provide a quality service.”
Gareth is married with four children. He was brought up in Dyffryn Ogwen and joined North Wales Police in 1984. As a Constable he served at Wrexham Town, Corwen and on the Traffic Department at Wrexham. In 1990 he was promoted to Sergeant at Rhyl and worked as a Patrol and Custody Sergeant and then in the Community Policing Team at Rhuddlan. Between 1994 and 1997 he worked in the Corporate Development Department at Police Headquarters before moving to Flintshire as a Uniform Inspector. Between 1998 and 2003 he served as a Chief Inspector and Superintendent in the Operational Support Division where he was responsible for armed response vehicles, firearms team, roads policing, dog section, helicopter and emergency planning.
Between 2003 and 2008 he was the Divisional Commander for the Western Division covering the policing of Anglesey and Gwynedd. In 2008 he transferred to Police Headquarters and led Operation Quest, a Home Office initiative to improve the quality of service provided by the Force. Gareth has a Masters Degree in Police Management from Manchester University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
