New Chief Officer appointed

Avon and Somerset Police has appointed Louise Hutchison as its new Chief Officer of People and Organisational Development.

Louise has been acting in the role since February and has now been confirmed permanently following a comprehensive search over the last three months and a testing selection process.

Louise first joined the organisation in 2011 as a Senior Business Partner before taking up roles as Head of Organisational Development and more recently as Director of People and Organisational Development.

Under her leadership as director, her team ensured the organisation surpassed its Police Uplift Programme target, recruiting and training hundreds of new officers while the organisation has also become more diverse.

Louise said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be confirmed as the new Chief Officer for People and Organisational Development.

“I’m immensely proud of the teams I lead and recognise how much they contribute to the experience of everyone who works at Avon and Somerset Police.

“Improving the service we provide to our colleagues and to the public will be at the heart of everything I do and I’m fully committed to listening to any feedback and ideas which can help us to continue on our journey towards being an outstanding police service.

“My immediate focus will be around supporting and accelerating initiatives to improve wellbeing; to support team leadership across the organisation; and to help all employees to develop and reach their full potential.”

Chief Constable Sarah Crew said: “Louise has already proven herself to be a real asset to the organisation and I have no doubt her skills and experience will help us achieve our ambition for outstanding policing for everyone.

“Her achievements, along with her values and commitment to inclusion and diversity, made her the stand out choice in what was a very competitive selection process and I look forward to working closely with her now her position has been confirmed.”