Assistant Chief Constable Jon Stratford, Chief Constable Peter Vaughan, Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Holland
South Wales Police has welcomed its two new Assistant Chief Constables as they report for their first day of duty.
ACC Nikki Holland has joined the force from Merseyside Police. In her new role ACC Holland will take on responsibility for specialist crime which includes the Joint Scientific Investigation Unit, Tarian / Regional Organised Crime Unit and Wales Extremist Counter Terrorist Unit.
Completing the uniformed senior management team is ACC Jon Stratford, who joins South Wales Police from Avon and Somerset Police. ACC Stratford will be responsible for specialist operations, professional standards department and justice and partnership.
ACC Holland, said: “I always said to myself that if I move away from my home and family, it would have to be to somewhere that was friendly, and south Wales is exactly this. There are striking similarities between forces. Both cover large cities which host major events and coastal areas with busy ports. The people are similar too, being welcoming and approachable. One thing south Wales hasn’t got is the gun and gang culture which unfortunately exists in Merseyside, so in that respect it’s in a good position.”
Nikki comes from a policing family and is a fourth-generation police officer who is the first to be promoted beyond constable. She added: “I never set-out to be a chief officer, but I had many people who have inspired and helped me along the way. Hopefully, as a female who has progressed through the ranks, I can inspire others to do the same.”
Her very first arrest – for armed robbery – was a clear sign of the success that would follow. On her first day on patrol in 1988, she entered a bank to get money for lunch and stumbled into a real-life armed robbery. A man aimed a gun at her head and dared her to reach for her radio, but seconds later they were spooked and started to run out. Nikki tripped up one of the men over who fell and knocked himself unconscious.
Nikki, said: “It was almost surreal, but it all happened so quickly. I can remember thinking to myself, I’ve got no chance of getting through my probationary period if I don’t bag at least one of these guys, so I stuck out a leg. I guess it put me on the map right at the start.”
ACC Jon Stratford is struck by the positive impression he got from south Wales. “People are very welcoming and friendly and this makes the area unique – a place where you can really feel at home. I recognise in South Wales Police a Constabulary that remains rooted in local communities. That is very important to me,” he said.
ACC Stratford is no stranger to south Wales. In years gone by, he has spent many hours in the skies above his new policing patch as a hang gliding instructor.
He joined the police from the British Army after returning from the Gulf War in 1991. Jon’s career to date has seen him perform a series of demanding operational roles, such as policing commander of the infamous Glastonbury Festival and the iconic St Paul’s Carnival in Bristol. He said: “I love the operational side of the business and always have done. Today, I find myself further removed from that place, but I will be using the experience gained during my career to support the front line as effectively as I can”.
