A WELSH police force's new chief constable has been chosen.

Dr Richard Lews, current Chief Constable in Cleveland, has been approved as the next Chief Constbale for Dyfed-Powys Police.

As the Police & Crime Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn’s preferred candidate to lead the force following the retirement of Mark Collins earlier this year, Dr Lewis is returning to Dyfed-Powys Police, having served as the Chief Constable in Cleveland since April 2019.

Originally from Carmarthenshire, his career in the police service started in 2000. During his 18 years in Dyfed-Powys Police he served in every rank up to Deputy Chief Constable working in all four counties in the force. He has also been the head of the professional standards department and chaired the Wales Counter Corruption Working Group.

Speaking following the Police & Crime Panel’s ratification of his appointment, Chief Constable Lewis, said: “I have just sent a message to every member of Dyfed-Powys Police, setting out my aims in working with them upon my return to the force; inviting them to share their voice as we plan for the future, and setting out the standards I expect in delivering a service to our communities. We will clearly define our priorities and focus on them relentlessly.

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“Delivering the best service to our communities also requires us to be culturally aware, and to acknowledge the needs of our communities – be it from the status of the Welsh language, right through to the needs of those that have found a welcome place of safety from challenged corners of the globe, and settled here in mid and west Wales.

“I want every staff member, officer and volunteer to feel able to bring their true selves to work; that’s when we do great things."

In 2010, he gained a Fulbright Scholarship, a prestigious educational programme, at Pennsylvania State University where he studied Taser deployments leading to adverse incidents. The work was conducted in policing agencies as diverse as Dallas, Seattle and New York police departments. The majority of his time in the United States was spent working with the Emergency Service Unit of NYPD, based in Brooklyn.

Dr Lewis is the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for ethics and chairs the National Ethics Committee. He has recently completed his PhD with Bath Spa University.

As Dr Lewis prepares to depart Cleveland Police – a force which has overwhelmed him with its welcome and determination to improve, Temporary Chief Constable Claire Parmenter, who has led Dyfed-Powys Police since March this year will continue with her focus on the organisation’s recovery from the pandemic until Dr Lewis commences his new role in Dyfed Powys.

Police & Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn, said: “I am delighted to be able to announce Dr. Richard Lewis as the new Chief Constable for Dyfed-Powys Police, following unanimous support from the Police and Crime Panel today”.

“When I set out on this process, it was important that I recruited a Chief Officer who could bring the vision, determination and resilience required to lead the Constabulary. Richard performed very well throughout the whole assessment process and demonstrated great leadership skills. His vast experience and understanding of policing as well as his knowledge of the Dyfed-Powys area puts him in a good place to support the priorities in my Police and Crime Plan.

“As a visionary Chief Constable, Richard will build on the excellent work undertaken by his predecessor, Mark Collins who retired earlier this year, to continuously improve the quality of our service, protecting our communities and meeting public expectations.

“He has a fantastic track record of fighting crime and managing community policing and I very much look forward to working with him to keep our communities safe and to develop a Force that serves for today and is fit for the future.

“I am very grateful to Claire Parmenter for her support and leadership over recent months in the role as Temporary Chief Constable and I look forward to working with the future Chief Officer Team to ensure that Dyfed Powys Police is the outstanding Force that I am confident that it can be.”