Election of new NPCC Chair

Current Chair Martin Hewitt will leave the post in March 2023 after serving a four-year term. 

Chief constables were invited to apply for the post of Chair of NPCC in October. CC Stephens applied for the post and, in accordance with election rules, has been appointed.

CC Stephens has worked nearly 30 years in policing, first joining Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1993 and then Surrey Police in 1996, where he has been working for over 20 years, serving in every rank up to the role of Chief Constable.

He was initially based in East Surrey on neighbourhood policing, and went onto roles in serious and organised crime, professional standards and local policing.

On a national level, CC Stephens has played a major role in developing and modernising neighbourhood policing, and he led the implementation of the Neighbourhood Policing Guidelines in 2016. He is currently the Chair of the NPCC Finance Coordination Committee, as well as the national Communications Advisory Group.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, said:

"I feel very honoured to have been elected the next Chair for the NPCC. 

“I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues and leading the organisation to build on the fantastic work they’ve done so far in improving policing and keeping our communities safe. I am as excited about and motivated by policing today, as I was as a new recruit.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all colleagues who placed their confidence in me in the election process, and I look forward to representing them to the best of my ability.”

NPCC Chair Martin Hewitt, said:

“I’m delighted that Gavin will be the new Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council from April 2023.

“He is an exceptional chief, who brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience and I have no doubt that he will bring that to bear as he leads the NPCC in the important role that it will continue to play in the coming years.”

College of Policing Chief Constable, Andy Marsh, said:

“I’m delighted to see Gavin take up the role of chair at the National Police Chiefs’ Council and I look forward to working closely with him to continue the work already underway to improve policing. Gavin is an experienced chief constable with a track record of leading operational and organisational change locally and nationally.

“The police service faces big challenges and the College of Policing will work closely with the new NPCC chair and other national policing organisations so we can fulfil the potential of the uplift of police officer numbers to cut crime, bring more offenders to justice and keep our communities safe.”

Marc Jones, Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said:

“On behalf of all Police and Crime Commissioners I want to congratulate Gavin in his new role.

“This is a pivotal time for policing and while there will be issues we need to tackle, I am confident that we can collaborate effectively with Gavin and the NPCC to build on the essential work to improve public confidence and deliver a service which meets the needs of the communities in which we serve.”

The NPCC brings UK police leaders together to set direction in policing and drive progress for the public. It does this through:

• Coordination – joining up the operational response to critical national policing issues to deliver policing today and shape the future.

• Collaboration – working in partnership as part of the whole policing system and beyond to improve public safety.

• Communication – sharing the collective expertise, views and action of UK police chiefs with the public and government.