THE outgoing chief constable of Humberside Police has welcomed the announcement of his successor.
Tim Hollis, who has led the force for eight years, said he hopes Justine Curran is confirmed as the force's next chief.
Humberside police and crime commissioner Matthew Grove has proposed Ms Curran takes over as chief constable when Mr Hollis retires in March.
Her appointment must be confirmed by the police and crime panel, who will question Ms Curran and Mr Grove at a meeting next month.
Ms Curran, 45, has been the Chief Constable of Tayside Police in Scotland for almost four years.
Mr Hollis said: "I am pleased the police and crime commissioner has identified his preferred choice of my successor, Justine Curran.
"As a serving chief in her own right, Justine understands the demands of leading a modern police force and managing the complex challenges we face.
"I naturally hope that the panel will confirm her appointment.
"I will then work hard to ensure a smooth handover of the stewardship of Humberside Police ahead of my retirement at Easter."
Mr Grove described Ms Curran as "an outstanding leader with a proven track record".
If her appointment is approved by the panel, Ms Curran will start her new role in April to become the force's first female chief constable.
During his eight-year tenure leading the force, Mr Hollis has overseen huge reductions in crime and has been credited with improving the force's reputation.
When he arrived in 2005, the force the force was languishing at the bottom of the league tables, and was in "engagement" with the Police Standards Unit.
Although the force still lingers near the bottom of the league tables, crime has fallen consistently across the region for ten years.
Public confidence is also at its highest level for years and the morale of officers and staff has improved.
Mr Hollis said: "I am enormously proud of the achievements made by my team during the last eight years and the manner in which they have served our communities.
"My successor will have solid foundations upon which to build."
Mr Grove announced he wanted to hire Ms Curran last week after interviewing three candidates for the role.
The Mail understands Humberside's current Deputy Chief Constable, David Griffin, was among the candidates for the job.
The other is believed to have been Lincolnshire Police's temporary Chief Constable Neil Rhodes.
They were all interviewed by Mr Grove and an appointments panel.
The panel was made up of Julie Good, the High Sheriff of the East Riding, Ian Kelly, chief executive of Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, Kevin Sharp, the chief executive of the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner and human resources advisor David Taylor.
Mr Grove said the decision to choose Ms Curran was unanimous.
