Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, QPM, has announced his retirement from Police Scotland today at a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority.
The 56-year-old took over on an interim basis in 2017, stepped up to a permanent role the following year, and was knighted for his service only earlier this year.
It was in 2017 when he had formally announced his imminent retirement, he had to reconsider that decision quickly on the departure of previous Chief Constable Phil Gormley.
On accepting the permanent role in August 2018 he said then: “I am extremely proud and humbled to be appointed as Scotland’s next Chief Constable. It is a great responsibility and opportunity to lead a 22,000 strong team of dedicated and committed professionals, and to harness their ideas and potential in the service of the people of Scotland. Policing has been my life and the demands on it are developing faster today than at any time in my career. It is my job now to lead and drive change in policing to adapt to those challenges and to build on the values, ethos and traditions of policing in Scotland that first attracted me to this profession 26 years ago.”
In 2021 his tenure was extended to August 2025 but he has decided now is the time to step down.
He told the meeting of the Scottish Police Authority on Thursday morning: “I consider the stability which now exists will endure through and also enable a managed transition to a new chief constable over the coming months. I will work relentlessly to ensure this occurs.”
The Chief Constable who has more than 30 years of service under his belt is to step down in the summer.
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