Northern Ireland considers its next police chief

Recruitment plans for Northern Ireland’s next chief constable were set to be rubber-stamped at a policing board meeting in Belfast today.

As outgoing police chief Ronnie Flanagan was preparing to give his last report to the body, members were signing off criteria for his successor.

A board spokeswoman confirmed: ‘‘The chief constable’s recruitment process will be finalised at the meeting.’’

Amid fears of a major crisis in police numbers, current officer levels are also being presented to the board.

Although policing reforms recommended the force’s strength should be 7,500 regular officers and 2,500 part-time reserve officers, figures prepared for the board show regular numbers had dropped to 7,000 by February 1.

In its bid to find a replacement for Flanagan, a sub-committee of the 19-strong scrutinising body has already drawn up a stringent list of requirements for the new chief constable.

Whoever is appointed must have served at least two years as an assistant chief constable and completed the senior command course at Bramshill in Hampshire.

This effectively rules out two serving assistant chief constables in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Stephen White and Sam Kincaid.

With unionist, nationalist and independent members all present on the corporate policy committee which agreed the criteria, opposition at today’s full-board meeting was unlikely.

Once the plans have been formally agreed, job advertisements will be placed in policing magazines throughout the UK.

March 15 was pencilled in as the date for placing job notices.

But before Flanagan’s departure at the end of the month, he will deliver his final report to the board and take questions from members.

His deputy, Colin Cramphorn, has agreed to stand in until the recruitment process - which could take up to six months - is completed.