West Midlands' Force appoints new senior officer

The new appointments were welcomed by Chief Constable Craig Guildford who chaired the board along with Debbie Tedds, Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police, and West Midlands Police Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green.

Detective Chief Superintendent Damian Barratt from West Mercia Police will take up the position with responsibility for the security portfolio.

With 28 years’ service spanning a number of local and regional crime postings, he brings a wealth of investigative and operational experience which will help lead and shape the regional serious and organised crime response along with regional and national counter terrorism leadership.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jennie Mattinson will move from Staffordshire Police where she currently leads public protection after having undertaken a period of temporary ACC duties in the county over the past eighteen months.

She has 22 years’ service with an extensive portfolio of operational command experience in public protection, local policing, crime and change management and will head up the crime portfolio in West Midlands Police.

Temporary ACC Matt Welsted has been on secondment with the West Midlands Police from the Cheshire Constabulary where he was a temporary ACC for three years.

He will retain his current portfolio which includes contact, change and digital.

Temporary ACC Mike O’Hara has led force operations in the West Midlands after having been a local policing commander at Coventry during his 25 years’ service.

He leads a number of regional collaborations and working groups and supports the national firearms portfolio in helping develop command and specialist firearms training delivery in the West Midlands. Mike will remain in his current post.

Chief Constable Guildford said: "The appointments I have made reflect applicants who want to work in a busy force which is continuing to make solid improvement gains across the board despite its structural fiscal challenges.

“These appointments will continue to build upon our new local policing model where we are answering more calls for service, arresting more suspects, investigating more offences, charging more people and responding to local issues with local officers in order to keep the public safe.

“My new colleagues will lead big business areas where change is a constant, demand is unstinting and the workforce are eager to serve.

"West Midlands Police has some exceptionally capable officers and staff of all backgrounds. What better a diverse challenge could one wish for professionally as a newly appointed assistant chief constable.”