Police force confirms new chief constable
Cleveland PoliceA deputy chief constable will step up to the top job after her nomination was unanimously approved.
Victoria Fuller had been named as the preferred candidate to replace Cleveland Police Chief Constable Mark Webster when he retires next month.
The area's police and crime panel, which is made up of elected and independent members, had the power to ratify or veto the Police and Crime Commissioner's proposed candidate, but said it was impressed with her "vision for the force".
Mrs Fuller joined the force in May 2022, having started her career at Durham Police in 1999, where she served for 23 years.
Chair of the all-party panel councillor Tony Riordan said she had been enthusiastic about continually improving the force during her hearing.
"We felt she impressed us all with her wealth of operational knowledge, her vision for the force and her passion for providing the people of Cleveland with a first-class police service," he said.
Previous chief constable Mr Webster had been appointed in 2022, and helped lift the troubled force out of special measures.
The force had been described as "clueless" and was found to be putting the public at risk, before eventually being assessed to have made "significant" improvements by 2023.
Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey said: "She brings stability to Cleveland Police at a time when it is more important than ever to maintain the outstanding progress highlighted during the force's last inspection."
Mrs Fuller is expected to take up her post in July when Mr Webster retires.