South Yorkshire completes its senior command team

THE new South Yorkshire Police senior command team is now complete with the introduction of assistant chief constables David Hartley and Lauren Poultney.

The pair joined Chief Constable Stephen Watson, Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts and Assistant Chief Constable Tim Forber this month.

David Hartley, whose previous role was as Sheffield’s District Commander, has worked for South Yorkshire Police his entire career. He began in 1991 as a beat officer at the now extinct West Bar Police Station where he spent six years before moving to Main Street in Rotherham.

In 2008, he became Superintendent and in 2011, took the role of Chief Superintendent and Sheffield’s District Commander. A year later, he became a public order gold officer as well as a specialist strategic firearms commander, roles he still maintains alongside his role as Assistant Chief Constable for Local Policing.

ACC David Hartley said: “I am committed to working with my colleagues to make SYP fit for tomorrow’s challenges and the best it possibly can be. I am proud to be part of this team.”

Lauren Poultney has joined from Humberside Police where she served as an investigative and uniformed officer, working in Professional Standards, Neighbourhoods, Major Crime, HR, Protecting Vulnerable People and in various command roles.

She is the ACC for Change and Innovation, which means that she will be looking at how the force can operate more effectively and how to make the most efficient use of its resources.

ACC Poultney said: “I am delighted to have joined the team here and will be getting out and about as much as I can.”

David and Lauren join ACC Tim Forber, who has been at the force since December 2016 and is responsible for overseeing Specialist Crime Services, which includes the Major Incident Team, Force Crime Unit, Serious and Organised Crime and Public Protection.