The City of London Corporation’s Police Authority Board (PAB) will begin a recruitment drive for the next Commissioner of the City of London Police next week.
The appointee will replace Commissioner Ian Dyson, who has announced his planned retirement after 38 years of distinguished service in policing.
Commissioner Dyson will be leaving the force at the end of 2021, having served in the role for almost six years.
The new Commissioner will lead the City Police, which is unique in policing by being the local force for the Square Mile as well as the National Lead Force for fraud and economic crime.
It carries out this role in collaboration with the Home Office, law enforcement agencies, the private sector and the other 43 Home Office forces.
The recruitment will be overseen by the City of London Police Authority Board, whose main role is to make sure the City Police runs an effective and efficient service, ensuring value for money in the way the force is run, and setting policing priorities taking into account the views of the community.
In the recruitment process the City of London Police Authority Board will apply the Equality Act 2010 when shortlisting candidates, in order to encourage applicants with protected characteristics who are underrepresented to apply.
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Chairman of the City of London Police Authority Board, James Thomson, said: “Ian has led the City of London Police with outstanding dedication and commitment to deliver the best in policing.
“Under his leadership, the force has become widely recognised as a world leader in protective security and economic crime and he has made a significant contribution to ensuring that the Square Mile is a safe place to work, live and visit – indeed, the safest city area in the world.
“In particular, he has continued to grow the organisation’s National Lead Force responsibilities and helped to coordinate a more effective response across policing to fraud and economic crime.
“Ian will be leaving the force in excellent shape to meet the ever-changing challenges of modern policing, including an accommodation programme that will replace the entire existing police estate with modern facilities fit for a 21st century police force.”
Fraud is the fastest growing area of crime in the UK and the City of London Police receives 800,000 reports a year.
It accounts for one third of all crimes, and is of increasing importance nationally, but only receives a fraction – just under 2% – of police resources to tackling it.
Fraud is an under-reported crime, and reported losses were around £2.3bn in the last financial year, affecting around a million people.
As well as significant financial loss, it causes significant harm to victims of crime, many often highly vulnerable, and in many cases that harm is life changing.
The new Commissioner is expected to be announced in the Summer.
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