North Yorkshire Police Authority has appointed ADAM BRIGGS as the new Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police, to succeed Ian McPherson who left last year to become Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary.

Mr Briggs successfully completed a two-day selection programme to take on the role and will join the force on 4th June 2007.

Mr Briggs is currently an Assistant Chief Constable for Cleveland Police, and brings extensive operational policing experience in both Cleveland and West Yorkshire. He was Staff Officer to the Chief Constable and Divisional Commander at Dewsbury Division before commencing the Target Initiative, which was West Yorkshire’s biggest ever crack down on crime and disorder.

On the appointment, Chairman of the Police Authority Jane Kenyon said ‘The Authority is delighted to bring Adam Briggs to the communities of North Yorkshire and the City of York as Deputy Chief Constable. He has a passion for policing and during his tenure with Cleveland police has made great strides in combating drug crime, volume crime and anti-social behaviour through his work on Operation Sabre, for example. He brings a strong policing pedigree, a focus on performance as well as a clear vision for embedding neighbourhood policing throughout our communities.’

Speaking about his appointment, Mr Briggs said

‘I live in North Yorkshire and it’s a great honour to be appointed to this position. My aim is to help make North Yorkshire Police become the best Force in England and Wales. I want the county of North Yorkshire and the City of York to be the safest place in the Country for people to live, work, learn and visit.’

‘Under the leadership of Grahame Maxwell and working with the Police Authority, partners and all our communities, we can build on the real success delivered by the hard working men and women of North Yorkshire Police.’

The appointment of Adam Briggs comes less than two weeks after the appointment of the new Chief Constable (Designate) Grahame Maxwell. On the announcement of Mr Briggs appointment, Mr Maxwell said ‘I am looking forward to working with Mr Briggs and the rest of the Senior Management Team at North Yorkshire Police to ensure that the tremendous legacy that we have inherited is built further in terms of modernising the force. Our priorities will include embedding neighbourhood policing and being a national lead in this area as well as bringing in a performance regime to make sure that North Yorkshire Police delivers what it says it will and in the way it promises to do that – I will be looking at Adam Briggs to push forward that agenda on behalf of the residents of this area.’