Search is on for next RGP Commissioner

The Gibraltar Police Authority has commenced the search for the next Commissioner of the Royal Gibraltar Police, launching a recruitment process open to both local and external candidates.

The successful candidate will succeed Commissioner Richard Ullger, who is due to retire in April next year.

The GPA said it would run an “open, fair competition where internal and external candidates will be able to apply”.

“We are seeking applicants from the widest possible field in the interest of finding the best possible candidate,” it said in statement.

Mr Ullger was appointed as Commissioner in July 2020 following the unexpected retirement of his predecessor, Ian McGrail, two years into what should have been a four-year term.

He was initially due to serve until April 2022 but that was extended in March that year for 12 months and he was later reappointed through to April 2025.

During Mr Ullger’s time in the top post, he has overseen the RGP’s response to critical challenges including the Covid lockdowns and the work to implement recommendations made by UK police inspectors.

But it is the issues and controversies that arose in the run-up to the public hearing of the McGrail Inquiry earlier this year that have dominated his tenure.

Sir Peter Openshaw, the retired High Court Judge of the Queen’s Bench Division in England and Wales who chaired the Inquiry, has yet to deliver his final report.

But in announcing the vacancy for Mr Ullger’s successor, the GPA signalled that implementing any recommendations made by Sir Peter Openshaw in respect of the RGP will be a key role for the next Commissioner.

The successful candidate will require “experience of carrying out strategic change”, the job advert states.

“You will lead and implement strategic change - including in light of any recommendations coming from the McGrail inquiry - to improve the performance and capability of the Royal Gibraltar Police and respond to the changing needs and expectations of the community, the Government and all stakeholders within Gibraltar,” it adds.

The Commissioner of Police is appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar, on the advice of the Gibraltar Police Authority, for a fixed term of four years with an option to renew.

Applicants for the job must be British nationals or citizens of Australia, Canada or New Zealand.

The post carries a salary of £139,886 per year, with overseas applicants offered relocation and housing allowances if recruited.

Candidates must have a proven track record of leadership and management in a senior policing role at the rank of UK chief officer or UK superintendent or equivalent.

“The Commissioner is responsible for overseeing the operations, administration, and strategic direction of the force,” the GPA said.

“The Commissioner is expected to work closely with the Governor of Gibraltar, His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar, the Gibraltar Police Authority, the Gibraltar Police Federation and other stakeholders to ensure the highest standards of policing excellence and public safety in Gibraltar.”

“The Commissioner is also responsible for continuing to develop and foster high levels of community confidence in the Royal Gibraltar Police and for driving organisational change.”

The deadline for applications is January 6, 2025, with interviews expected to be held as from February 10.
The GPA said it would be “desirable” for the next Commissioner to be in post by May 2025.