Police Scotland Chief Constable to step down after five years

He told a Scottish Police Authority meeting of his decision after being in the post since 2018. 

He told a board meeting of the Scottish Police Authority in Glasgow: “I have decided to retire from the office of Chief Constable later this year.

“I will retire from policing in the summer.”

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He added: “By my last day in service, I will have been a police officer for 31 years and had the privilege of serving as Chief Constable for nearly six of those years.

“Police Scotland is an organisation with shared values and high levels of operational competence.

"The service improvements achieved in our 10 years are unprecedented across the United Kingdom public sector, delivering effective policing for the public.

“We now have a full leadership team with the experience and capability to continue the progress made and can take confidence from the exceptional role Police Scotland played through Covid, COP26 and the events following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

“The police officers and police staff of Police Scotland are outstanding. Leading them as Chief Constable to serve the people of Scotland has been the honour of my working life.”

Sir Iain has led the single national Service for six years, as interim Chief from 2017 before being formally appointed as Chief Constable in 2018.

Commenting on the announcement Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “I thank Iain Livingstone for his long and dedicated service with Police Scotland.

"He has played a key role in ensuring the security of the whole of the United Kingdom as part of the UK’s policing family.

"I am particularly grateful to him for his role in delivering a safe and secure COP26 in Glasgow.

"I wish Sir Iain well in whatever he decides to do next.“

A serving police officer since 1992 when he joined the then Lothian and Borders force, Sir Iain rose to the top of the Scotland-wide force as interim chief in September 2017, before being appointed chief constable in August 2018.

Sir Iain said: “The police officers and police staff of Police Scotland are outstanding. Leading them as chief constable to serve the people of Scotland has been the honour of my working life.”

The 56-year-old, who was knighted in January during a ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, has led Police Scotland through the coronavirus crisis, during the Cop 26 climate summit in Glasgow, and oversaw the force’s role following the death of the Queen.

He described Police Scotland, which was created in April 2013, as a “maturing organisation”.

He told the SPA meeting: “Our single national service in Scotland represents major public sector reform and has delivered significant value to the public and best value to the public purse.

“Operational competence has greatly benefited, a clear example of that being a record of responding and investigating and solving murders and our response to major events.”

Announcing his resignation, he told the meeting that policing is relentless, and added: “I consider the stability which now exists will endure through and also enable a managed transition to a new chief constable over the coming months.

“I will work relentlessly to ensure this occurs.”

Police Scotland is the UK’s second biggest force, with 23,000 officers and staff.

Sir Iain’s retirement announcement came as he and Lynn Brown, chief executive of the SPA, presented a paper to the meeting which warns policing north of the border is “unsustainable” given the latest cash settlement from Holyrood.

“Police Scotland has often absorbed the impact of wider public sector financial challenges and is taking responsibility in situations where the police service is not the most appropriate service to respond,” the paper said.

“This position is unsustainable in the long-term and detracts from the ability to intervene effectively at the critical end of risk and harm.”

Before joining the police, Sir Iain was a solicitor in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London.

In 2015, he was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal.