WASTE and bureaucracy will be targeted in a bid to get more police out in the community under the leadership of incoming chief constable Mike Veale.

Currently serving as deputy to retiring Pat Geenty, Mr Veale said more rungs could be taken out of the ladder of ranks in order to preserve the front line in the face of continuing budget cuts.

Speaking after his appointment was announced yesterday as the only candidate for the role, Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) Veale said he is delighted to have reached “the pinnacle” of the force after 30 years in service.

“It will be my responsibility to meet the new challenges head on,” he said. “While it is a daunting prospect it is a fantastic job with massive responsibilities.

“We have saved approximately £16.5m over the last four years and we will have to save £3m each year for the next three years, so we need to operate differently and re-design the force to maintain our performance and minimise waste.

“Eighty per cent of our budget is in people, so we have to be very smart in meeting the expectations of our communities. I am determined to continue looking at the make-up of the force by reducing the bureaucracy that exists and look at how many levels we need to streamline in the organisation.

“We are one of the first forces in the country to be successful in removing two ranks, and I believe that is the right decision which enables the direction being set by the chief to be clearly understood at all levels. That is how beneficial a flatter organisation can be.”

Mr Veale added his priorities would be to increase neighbourhood visibility, build on co-operation with councils and other agencies, and draw on volunteers such as special constables and Neighbourhood Watch groups to remain viable in the future. He also pledged to lead by example in restoring public trust in the force.

“That trust needs to be delivered from the top down,” he said. “You will see me being more visible within the communities, and everything we do will be about engagement and smarter communication.

“We can no longer operate as a stand-alone force, and we need to integrate and come together. If you get that right, it creates the opportunity to protect local policing.”

Mr Geenty’s retirement has been put on hold pending the outcome of an IPCC investigation, which is due by the end of the month. Subject to confirmation from the Police and Crime Panel, Mr Veale will become chief on June 1.

“Mr Geenty will leave at the end of May and the IPCC have indicated they will give me a report before that date, so I have to work to that timescale,” said Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson. “It is intolerable for somebody to be in limbo and intolerable for the force. It is essential for the force to know they have that continuity of leadership.”

Mr Macpherson added there will be no change in direction under the new leadership.

“We have a plan and we are sticking to it,” he said.

“We all signed up to a course of action, in particular the protection of local neighbourhood policing. That is a vital part of policing in Wiltshire and we do not want to be in a position of losing PCSOs or neighbourhood officers. That is the lifeblood of the force and Mike Veale’s background is in neighbourhood police so he is obviously committed to it.”

Mr Veale began his policing career as a police cadet aged 16 before joining Avon and Somerset Constabulary as a constable in 1984.

He spent his early service in various roles in uniform and CID before becoming Chief Inspector Operations in inner-city Bristol and later serving as Detective Chief Inspector in Somerset.

In January 2005 he was promoted to Detective Superintendent and transferred to Wiltshire Police. In the same year he was promoted to Detective Chief Superintendent as Head of CID.

He then led a programme to amalgamate HQ CID with the Force operations department to create a Protective Services Command.

In 2009 he was appointed temporary assistant chief constable for 10 months. He then took up the post of divisional commander for before going on to complete the strategic command course in 2011.

In March 2013, he became deputy chief constable. Since then he has been responsible for the force’s transformation programme and integrating vital services with those of its their council partners.