“Many Congratulations” Says Kate Smith on Appointment of New Derbyshire Chief Constable

The announcement of Derbyshire's new Chief Constable is an opportunity to build on existing strengths and improve on those areas where the Force is weaker, says Lib Dem Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Candidate Kate Smith.

The successor to Peter Goodman as Chief Constable is the experienced, hard-working and energetic Rachel Swann. Kate welcomes this appointment, saying, "Some will recognise the name of Rachel Swann, who co-ordinated the multi-agency response to the Toddbrook Reservoir emergency, in early August 2019. It seems fitting that the news comes on the anniversary of that incident. Deputy Chief Constable Swann's organising skills were outstanding, and her record on prioritising scarce resources, cross-agency collaboration and team management is also clearly recognised by the Force, and by the current PCC. Many congratulations to her."

Every Chief Constable has a lengthy agenda in these tough times, but in view of catastrophic recent falls in prosecutions and convictions for Rape, and Derbyshire's weaker-than-average record on Domestic Abuse, Kate hopes CC-Designate Swann will be among those focusing on these very difficult areas and helping to improve reporting confidence among victims. Key to success on this will be building a sustained and constructive partnership between our Constabulary and the local Crown Prosecution Service, as well as the PCC.

"I wish CC Swann every success in the role", says Kate Smith.