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Tim Forber says it will be the honour of his 27-year career if he becomes the most senior police officer in York and North Yorkshire.

The current deputy chief constable of South Yorkshire Police will present himself for the first time to councillors on the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel next week in Northallerton.

Mr Forber is set to replace the outgoing chief constable Lisa Winward who is officially retiring in March but ended her role before Christmas.

He has been chosen as the preferred candidate for the £154,000 position by Tory crime commissioner Zoe Metcalfe.

This is despite advice from councillors that the appointment should be delayed until after elections in May when her brief will become the new mayor’s responsibility.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Forber has submitted a personal statement that outlines his background and motivations for applying for the top job at North Yorkshire Police.

Cross-party councillors on the panel will quiz him about the role and make a recommendation on his appointment.

Born and bred in St Helens, policing runs in the family as his father served as an officer for 36 years before retiring in 2000.

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He studied for a law degree before joining London’s Metropolitan Police Service in 1996.

In 1997, he won a Royal Humane Society award after he rescued a woman from drowning in freezing waters in the River Thames.

During his time at the Met, he worked as a detective and was commended for helping to bring to justice a criminal gang who committed high value antique burglaries against elderly vulnerable victims across the country.

In 2005, he first came to Yorkshire when he joined West Yorkshire Police on the force’s homicide and major inquiry team.

Five years later he moved to Greater Manchester Police where he was was chief superintendent.

In 2016 he returned to Yorkshire as the assistant chief constable at South Yorkshire Police and helped oversee a turnaround where it’s now one of the highest rated forces in the country.

He is married to a serving detective constable in West Yorkshire Police and has a daughter and two sons.

Mr Forber said:

“I am passionate about policing, and it is all I have ever known in terms of my professional career. I believe that North Yorkshire Police has the potential to be truly outstanding.”

North Yorkshire gets new interim chief constable

An interim chief constable has taken charge at North Yorkshire Police.

Elliot Foskett, who was previously the constabulary’s assistant chief constable, succeeds Lisa Winward.

Ms Winward officially retires from the £154,000 a year role at the end of March but worked her last day on December 22. Her early departure is believed to be due to the amount of unused leave and additional hours accrued.

Lisa Winward

Lisa Winward

Mr Foskett will hold the reins until a full-time successor is appointed.

Zoë Metcalfe, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for York and North Yorkshire, announced this month that Tim Forber,  the current deputy chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, was her preferred candidate to become the next chief constable. His appointment has yet to be ratified so no starting date has been set.

The appointment has been mired in controversy because Ms Metcalfe’s role will be taken over by whoever is elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire in May 2024. It means the new mayor will inherit a chief constable they didn’t appoint.

Mr Foskett posted on X, formerly known as Twitter:

“What a complete privilege to lead this amazing force until our new chief arrives. I feel very proud of our brilliant people and I know the new chief, Tim Forber, will love it here.”

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Tim Forber set to be North Yorkshire’s new top cop

Tim Forber,  the current deputy chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, has been named as the preferred candidate to become the next chief constable of North Yorkshire Police.

Zoë Metcalfe, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for York and North Yorkshire, today announced she had identified Mr Forber to succeed Lisa Winward, who is retiring from the £154,000-a-year role at the end of March next year.

The appointment has been mired in controversy because Ms Metcalfe’s role will be abolished shortly after the candidate she hired is appointed.

The commissioner’s role will be taken over by whoever is elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire in May 2024.

It means the new mayor will inherit a chief constable they didn’t appoint.

Lisa Winward

Lisa Winward will retire on March 31.

Ms Metcalfe rejected advice to delay the appointment by North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel, which scrutinises her performance.

The Conservative commissioner has also complained about Tory mayoral candidate Keane Duncan, who she claimed used “inappropriate language” to influence her chief constable recruitment. An investigation found no wrongdoing.

Today Ms Metcalfe’s office issued a statement which said Mr Forber had been selected “following a robust recruitment process” that ended yesterday.

The two-day process on December 11 and 12 involved a presentation to local internal and external stakeholders, a media exercise and a panel interview. It also included candidates having to design a presentation based on the results of an online survey conducted by Ms Metcalfe.

‘The right qualities’

Mr Forber joined South Yorkshire Police as assistant chief constable in December 2016 and was promoted to deputy chief constable in June 2021.

Ms Metcalfe will now put Mr Forber to the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel on January 11.

Ms Metcalfe said:

“His depth of experience and commitment to collaboration and local neighbourhood policing across  rural and urban areas was clear from the interview process.

“I have every confidence he has the right qualities to drive forward North Yorkshire Police to be an outstanding service and to keep people safe and feeling safe.”

Mr Forber said:

“I am hugely honoured to be selected as the preferred candidate to be the next chief constable of North Yorkshire Police. I am looking forward to working tirelessly on behalf of the communities of York and North Yorkshire to ensure they have an outstanding police service. “

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