A NEW deputy chief constable has been appointed at Dorset Police.

Scott Chilton was selected on Tuesday July 28, following an appointment process chaired by chief constable James Vaughan, supported by chief executive of Dorset Council Matthew Prosser and Gloucestershire Constabulary HR lead Caroline Hollister.

There was also a separate Stakeholder Panel, chaired by the Dorset OPCC chief executive Simon Bullock, who was supported by various representatives from the Staff Support Network.

Mr Chilton will take over in October, following David Lewis’ retirement.

James Vaughan said: “I am delighted to appoint Scott to this crucial role and I look forward to welcoming him into the Dorset Police family in October.

“He has a wealth of experience and will be a valuable asset to the chief officer team.”

Scott’s most recent role was assistant chief constable at Hampshire Police, where he was strategic lead across all investigations teams, custody, the wider criminal justice system and intelligence.

He joined the Hampshire force in 1992, working his way through uniformed policing before joining CID in 1996 and spending the next 16 years as a detective progressing through the ranks to chief superintendent.

In 2008 he was seconded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Afghanistan where he led development of policing reform and counter corruption.

“I am excited to be joining the brilliant team at Dorset Police and feel privileged to be taking on the role of DCC,” he said.

“I have always been a strong advocate of evidence-based policing and have a strong desire to ensure policing focuses its efforts on protecting the most vulnerable and targeting those criminals who cause harm and misery to our communities.”

Dorset police and crime commissioner Martyn Underhill added: “Scott brings a great deal of experience from his extensive policing career and I look forward to welcoming him to Dorset, so we can continue building on our collective ambition to deliver an outstanding police service.”