Cleveland Police Authority has today announced that Jacqui Cheer is taking on the role of Temporary Chief Constable of the Cleveland Force with immediate effect.
Mrs Cheer is seconded to Cleveland from Suffolk Constabulary where she held the post of Deputy Chief Constable. She joined Suffolk as Assistant Chief Constable in 2006, having previously spent 22 years with Essex Police and then the Home Office Reform Unit.
She commanded Operation Sumac, the investigation into the murders of five young women in the Ipswich area at the end of 2006 and she was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable in November 2007.
Temporary Chief Constable Jacqui Cheer with CPA Chair, Peter Race MBE
Today Police Authority Chair Peter Race MBE said he was confident that Mrs Cheer would provide the support and leadership needed to ensure that ‘despite the challenges we face we will continue to focus on providing the best possible service to our local communities, building on the tremendous progress we have made in recent years.’
Added Mr Race “As I have made clear before, there is nothing but admiration across the whole Authority for the determination which has been shown by everyone involved with the Force, including our senior management team and every officer and member of staff, to ensure that, despite the difficulties we have faced over recent months, the service to the public should be maintained.
“I know that Mrs Cheer shares that commitment and that she wants to take forward the vision which has seen the transformation of the Cleveland Force, making us one of the most successful in the country in driving down crime and raising public confidence.
“Like all of us, she recognises that, given the range of pressures facing policing, it will not be easy but I am sure she can make a real contribution to meeting the challenges—and I know she fully supports our long-standing belief that the key to effective policing is working with local people.”
Temporary Chief Constable of Cleveland Police Jacqui Cheer said: “I am delighted to join Cleveland Police, which has such a strong track record in reducing crime and working with others to deliver cost effective, good quality policing.
“Together with our partners and the Police Authority, we will continue to deliver the savings plan, remain focused on driving down crime and work hard to deliver policing services to the highest possible standard.
“I am fully aware that this is a tough time for the public sector, for policing and for Cleveland Police. However, out of tough times come new ideas which help improve the way we deliver our service.
“I do not underestimate the challenges ahead. But, having seen how the force has responded in recent years and months, I know that we can face the future with confidence and build on our success in keeping the communities of Cleveland safe.”