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Avon and Somerset police appoints new assistant chief constable
Rachel Shields is the new assistant chief constable for Avon and Somerset Police.
Shields served for 22 years in the Northern Ireland police force before joining the Avon and Somerset team in September 2021 as a detective superintendent, from where she swiftly made her way up to become the head of investigations (now CID) in February 2022.
Her appointment comes after what has been called a “rigorous selection” process and the retirement of former assistant chief constable Will White.
Rachel Shields will join chief constable Sarah Crew and others in Avon and Somerset Police’s chief officer team
Speaking on her new role, Shields said: “I applied to be assistant chief constable because I believe in the importance of policing, especially during times of instability and fear in our communities. I believe I have the experience and values needed to help shape the forthcoming years.
“I believe in this organisation and the people in it, and I want to make sure the decisions we take support officers and staff to do their job well and get the support needed.
“I want to instil hope, confidence and trust. I will specifically seek to guide our efforts in improving our overall performance, be productive and impactful with the resources we have, support our anti-racism strategy and role model service leadership.”
The job posting, when it was last advertised, had a pro rata salary between £120,489- £135,756.
Shields will join the chief officer team, which consists of two other assistant chief constables, a deputy chief constable, two chief officers and chief constable Sarah Crew.
A document explaining the role’s purpose and other details read: “The assistant chief constable is responsible for contributing to the creation of the vision and setting direction and culture for the force as part of the chief officer team that builds public and organisational confidence and trust and enables the delivery of an effective policing service.
“The assistant chief constable contributes to the development and implementation of the Force’s Delivery Plan. They are responsible for reviewing and driving performance and culture within their designated area of responsibility to provide a professional, effective and efficient policing service in line with the direction and vision of the force.
“The assistant chief constable is directly responsible for leading and commanding the operational policing responses within their area of responsibility. The assistant chief constable contributes to the development of regional and national policing within a specific area of expertise and may be accountable for national operations or standard setting.”
All photos: Avon and Somerset Police
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