An accomplished Met Police commander has been confirmed as Wiltshire’s new chief constable.
Commander Catherine Roper was before Christmas announced as the “preferred candidate”, with the force today (Thursday) confirming her appointment.
The senior officer headed up the Partygate investigation, a criminal inquiry into parties in Downing Street and Whitehall held during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020.
She’ll leave her central London borough to join Wiltshire Police as the most senior officer – and with it, she’s likely to amake significant changes to bring the force out of special measures.
Catherine joins Wiltshire Police from The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) where she is a Commander in Central Specialist Crime.
The current chief, Kier Pritchard, will retire after 30 years service – he’ll step down in June.
In a statement, he wrote: “I want to extend my congratulations to Catherine Roper following her confirmation as the next Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police at today’s Police and Crime Panel.
“I’m delighted to see Catherine appointed to the role – I know she will bring a great deal of energy, tenacity and a fresh perspective and I wish her every success for the future.
“Holding the role of Chief Constable in my home county has been the greatest privilege of my career and I remain immensely proud of all the officers, staff and volunteers who work incredibly hard to keep our communities safe.
“I know they are in safe hands and I look forward to spending time with Catherine in the coming weeks as we seek to ensure a seamless transition for the public and for the delivery of policing in our county.”
PCC Philip Wilkinson, who selected Catherine as his preferred candidate last month, has welcomed her appointment.
He said: “Following the Panel’s endorsement of Catherine’s appointment, Wiltshire is gaining a Chief Constable with a broad breadth of policing experience.
“I look forward to working with Catherine closely over the coming months and years to bring our shared goal of making Wiltshire a safer place to live, work and visit to fruition.
“Appointing a Chief Constable is one of the most important decisions I will make while in office and I am grateful for the support of my office in bringing the comprehensive recruitment process to a successful conclusion.”
