New assistant chief constable in Suffolk

SUFFOLK Police Authority has appointed a new assistant chief constable.

Gary Kitching, who is currently a chief superintendent with Hertfordshire Constabulary, will begin his new job at Suffolk Constabulary in mid-May.

Born in 1957, Gary spent his formative years in central London before moving with his parents to Surrey.

Following three years at university in Wales he returned to London in 1979 to join the Metropolitan Police Service.

Starting his career in Brixton, Gary spent the majority of his early career in South London working in places such as Tooting and Battersea.

He was posted to a range of operational roles including leading community and public order teams. He was also part of the development team for a ground breaking computerised crime reporting system.

In 1996 he transferred on promotion to Hertfordshire Constabulary and over a period of ten years has led all of the force's operational teams and been responsible for strategic planning.

As the Area Commander for Eastern Hertfordshire and a keen exponent of neighbourhood policing, he led one of England's pathfinder sites developing community-focused activity. Prior to joining Suffolk, Gary has been in the role of temporary assistant chief constable.

Currently Gary lives in Hertfordshire with his wife Cath and their black Labrador. However, having spent many happy times in Suffolk they are looking forward to moving to the county.

Gary said: “Central to my policing approach is community based neighbourhood policing and partnership working. Officers working with local partners in communities are the foundation stones of policing and provide essential support for the professional teams responding to incidents and investigating crime.

“Suffolk Constabulary's people have an outstanding reputation and I consider myself very lucky to be selected as their Assistant Chief Constable. I very much look forward to joining the Suffolk policing team and working with them to keep the county safe.”