Lisa Winward confirmed as North Yorkshire Police's new Chief Constable

The appointment of North Yorkshire Police's new Chief Constable has been confirmed after a public hearing to assess her skills, qualities and experience.

Lisa Winward, who had been put forward as the preferred candidate by the county's police and crime commissioner, received the seal of approval from North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel when it met today.

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Ms Winward had taken on the role temporarily following the retirement of Chief Constable Dave Jones earlier this year and drew on her experience when she addressed the panel.

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This included her experience in recent roles working collaboratively with other forces to improve services to the public and increase efficiencies.

The panel also heard of her commitment to tackling the poor performance issues around the 101 service by working more closely with other partners and ensuring a focus on crime prevention.

County council leader Carl Les, who also chairs the police and crime panel, said: “The role of chief constable is a critical one, particularly as North Yorkshire Police embarks on a period of significant transformational change.

"We believe Lisa has met the standard required for the role and the panel looks forward to working with her as she takes the force through the challenges ahead.”

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The decision was welcome by police and crime commissioner Julia Mulligan, who said: "Lisa has the leadership, skills and experience to drive forward local policing in North Yorkshire and ensure the county’s residents are safe and feel safe.

“Having been the Temporary Chief Constable since Dave Jones’ retirement, the consistency Lisa will bring to the role alongside her knowledge of North Yorkshire Police at every level will ensure she hits the ground running.

"I look forward to working with her to take forward the plans for policing in the years ahead, as set out in my Police and Crime Plan.”

Ms Winward started her police career with North Yorkshire Police in 1993 as a Special Constable in York.

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She joined Humberside Police in 1994 before returning to North Yorkshire in 2008.

Since then she has held a range of roles from Commander for York to Head of Major Crime, Specialist Operations, Criminal Justice and Force Intelligence, and she appointed Deputy Chief Constable in 2017.

Ms Winward, who will formally take up her new role as Chief Constable from Friday, said: "I’m delighted that the Police and Crime Panel has confirmed my appointment, and I am looking forward to serving the public of North Yorkshire as the permanent Chief Constable.”