Scottish Government civil servant appointed as interim chief officer of Scottish Police Authority
Police Scotland - Image credit: Ninian Reid via Flickr
A Scottish Government civil servant has been appointed as the interim chief officer of the Scottish Police Authority.
Kenneth Hogg is currently the Scottish Government’s director of local government and communities, a post he has held since 2013.
Hogg will join the SPA on a 12-month secondment from 13 November, ahead of the departure of outgoing chief executive John Foley.
Foley announced in August he was taking early retirement, with his post being made redundant in its present form.
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Changes to the post will see forensic services reporting directly into the SPA board to allow a future postholder to focus on governance of Police Scotland.
This follows criticism of both Foley and SPA chair Andrew Flanagan by MSPs and HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Derek Penman.
Kenneth Hogg has 25 years’ experience in the civil service in Scotland, with roles covering policing, health and transport.
Prior to taking responsibility for local government, he was director for safer communities from 2009 to 2012, where he oversaw reform of the police and fire services.
Kenneth Hogg said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this role, and am looking forward to working with colleagues across policing and the wide range of stakeholders and communities for whom this public service is so important.”
SPA Chair Andrew Flanagan said: “Kenneth Hogg is a highly skilled and experienced leader, and we are delighted to have secured him as our chief officer.
“He has a strong track-record in public service reform, financial accountability, engaging diverse stakeholders, encouraging participation and collaboration, and motivating and developing strong teams in high-profile areas of public service.
“All those capabilities fit well with the demands that come with the chief officer role, and it is of additional benefit that he has first-hand experience of the reforms to policing which underpin the structure and organisations we have today.
“I want to again pay tribute to the commitment and valued service that John Foley has given to the SPA and policing over what has been a period of unprecedented change. We wish him well for the future.”
The salary for the post will be in the range of £105,000 to £110,000.
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