Met Police Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, a Director of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI), has been appointed to lead the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) from April. NPCC chair Sara Thornton will leave the post in March after her four year term.
Chief constables were invited to apply for the post of Chair of NPCC in October. Martin Hewitt applied for the post and, in accordance with election rules, has been appointed. AC Hewitt began his policing career with Kent in 1993 and transferred to the Metropolitan Police in 2005. He is responsible for front-line policing which includes local policing and specialist crime commands across London.
He has led at national level on the police response to adult sexual offences and kidnap and has held the post of NPCC Vice Chair since 2015.
Martin Hewitt, pictured, said: “I am looking forward to leading the NPCC’s important work from next April and building on the strong foundations that Sara has laid.”
Sara Thornton said: “I’m delighted that Martin will be the new Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council in April 2019. “He’s a hugely experienced operational chief, who has dealt with some of policing’s toughest challenges. I have every confidence that he will be a great leader.”
About the National Police Chiefs’ Council
The NPCC coordinates operational response across the service to the threats in the UK, such as terrorism, crime and national emergencies. Through Chief Constables’ Council, the leaders of service take decisions about how they will operate to meet the demands of the day. Chief officers speak on behalf of the NPCC to explain the operational police response on a range of issues to the public and to government.
PCPI is often referred to by its crime prevention initiative, Secured by Design. It is a police-owned body that works on behalf of the UK police to deliver a range of crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives. PCPI Board Members include senior police officers from each of the four Home Nations who control and direct the work of PCPI.
