Peter Vaughan has been appointed as the new Chief Constable for South Wales Police.
The current South Wales Deputy Chief Constable was selected by the Police Authority to take over from current Chief Barbara Wilding from 1 January 2010.
Mr Vaughan, 46 from Merthyr Tydfil, started his career with South Wales Police in 1984. He left the Force briefly in 2003 to become Assistant Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, before returning as Assistant Chief Constable in January 2007. He took up the post of Deputy Chief Constable for the Force in April 2007.
Speaking of his appointment, Mr Vaughan said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be named the next Chief Constable for South Wales. I started with the Force in 1984 as a Constable on the beat in the Rhondda. Back then I was happy to serve my local community, and being Chief Constable was the furthest thing in my mind.
“South Wales Police is an excellent organisation, with outstanding performance results, particularly in the last year, yet I think we are still capable of more. My commitment is to develop our work with the public and to raise the satisfaction and confidence people have in our Force.
“I am honoured and proud to be the next Chief Constable for South Wales. My roots and family are in this area. I look forward to developing relationships with the public, our Officers and the Police Authority and ensuring this force is one of the best in the country.”
Chair of the Police Authority, Councillor Russell Roberts, said: “The appointment of a new Chief Constable is the most critical role for the Police Authority. We must make sure that the new person is able to lead and develop the service and build upon the successes of current Chief Constable Barbara Wilding. The Authority has appointed Peter Vaughan as the new Chief Constable for South Wales because of his unstinting drive and determination to Keeping South Wales Safe.
“The decision was not an easy one as both candidates were able to offer a wide range of experience and knowledge in policing, and we are grateful to have had two such high calibre applicants for this important role.
“We are very pleased to have Peter to help lead South Wales Police into the next decade, and look forward to working alongside him to help develop and strengthen the force performance.”
Current Chief Constable Miss Barbara Wilding said: “I’m delighted to be able to hand over the Force to someone who has contributed so much to its current rate of improvement. The appointment of Peter Vaughan is a good decision for the communities of South Wales police area.”
Mr Vaughan joined South Wales Police in September 1984 and served in each area of the force performing a variety of duties, including uniformed patrol, custody, firearms and roads policing.
He became a Superintendent in 1997 and held positions including divisional commander for Merthyr Tydfil, as well as the Community Safety Department, the Crime Operations Policy Unit. In July 2001 Mr Vaughan became Chief Superintendent and divisional commander for Rhondda Cynon Taf.
In December 2003 he was appointed to the post of sole ACC for Wiltshire Police, with responsibility for all operational matters, in particular policing divisions, serious and major crime and the Operations Department. On returning to South Wales as an ACC in January 2007, he led the Criminal Justice and Community Safety Department as well as taking operational command for critical incidents and major events.
In April 2007, Mr Vaughan was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief Constable at South Wales Police, a post he currently holds.
Nationally, Mr Vaughan Chairs the ACPO Police Dogs Working Group and ACPO Children and Young People Olympics portfolio.