PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton has announced he will retire from his post this year.
Mr Hamilton, who has been in the PSNI for 34 years, said he informed the Policing Board that he will step down from his post at the end of June.
He has been in the chief constable post for five years.
I have today informed @NIPolicingBoard of my intention to retire at the end of June. It’s been a huge honour to have served the public through policing for almost 34 years & undoubtedly the greatest privilege of my career has been to serve as Chief Constable of @PoliceServiceNI
— George Hamilton (@ChiefConPSNI) January 28, 2019
In a statement released this morning, he said: “I want to thank the Policing Board for their ongoing confidence in me and the offer of a three year extension to my contract. Having thought long and carefully, I have decided that it is the right time for both me and the PSNI that I retire from policing in June 2019.
“I have completed almost 34 years in the police service, having served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC, Strathclyde Police and Police Service of Northern Ireland.
“It has been a huge honour to have served the public through policing and without doubt, the greatest privilege of my career has been to serve as Chief Constable of the PSNI for the last five years.
“I am privileged and humbled to have led the dedicated officers and staff of the PSNI and to have worked in partnership with so many people committed to public service in Northern Ireland and beyond.
“Our society today is a much more peaceful and progressive society than it was when I joined policing over 33 years ago. The PSNI has been part of that transformation, as it has focussed on delivering Policing with the Community at the same time as modernising its service delivery.
“There is no doubt that there are challenges in the months and years ahead, but we have overcome greater challenges in the past and there is nothing that cannot be achieved if the police, our partners and the community continue to work together.
“I will continue as Chief Constable until the end of June 2019 and during that time I remain fully committed to keeping people safe and helping to build a safe, confident and peaceful society.”
Read more:
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Mr Hamilton will retire around three months after Brexit is to be implemented, a time which Mr Hamilton himself says will impact heavily on PSNI operations.
The Chief Constable previously told a government committee he felt "in the dark" as he attempted to prepare his service for the UK leaving the EU.
He also accused the British government of failing to understand the impact of Brexit and the dangers of terrorism in the region.
Mr Hamilton warned that government officials have failed to prepare for the impact of Britain leaving the European Union on issues surrounding peace and security.
He said that he has made a number of "urgent pleas" for resources, but he was not getting the information or clarity from Westminster.
The Chair of Policing Board, Anne Connolly, expressed her regret at the retirement of the Chief Constable.
"It is with regret that the Chief Constable has today informed me of his intention to resign at the end of June 2019," she said.
"The Policing Board last week offered the Chief Constable a three-year extension to his contract which he has decided not to take up, and the Board respects that decision.
"The Board now needs to put in place a process for the appointment of a Chief Constable and will consider this at its Board meeting on 6th February."
UUP leader, Robin Swann MLA said: "I want to sincerely wish George Hamilton all the best for the future.
"I've always found George to be a completely honest and straight forward individual to deal with.
"And I always appreciated his forthrightness."
The 51-year-old from Co Down began his career in 1985 when he joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), he went on to spend three years in England working on a range of training and organisational development projects.
In 2009 he was appointed assistant chief constable in Strathclyde Police in Glasgow, with responsibility for serious and organised crime, public protection and counter-terrorism investigations.
He was selected to succeed Matt Baggott as the Chief Constable of the PSNI in May 2014, and took up the post in June that year.
He received the Queen's Police Medal in the 2015 Birthday Honours List.
