PRESS RELEASE : MDP welcomes new Deputy Chief Constable [September 2023]

This week, the MDP welcomed Kier Pritchard, former Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, as their new Deputy Chief Constable.

Kier began his career with Wiltshire Police in 1993 and dedicated his service to his home force, following in the footsteps of his late father who served in Wiltshire Constabulary. He has performed many operational roles within front-line policing, criminal investigation, public protection and intelligence.

In 2012, as Detective Chief Superintendent Head of Protective Services, he provided leadership across the specialist operations command for firearms and roads policing, and led the force response to all crime, intelligence, safeguarding and covert policing. As the ACPO child death portfolio holder he developed the national investigative doctrine to professionalise the police and multi-agency response to sudden and unexplained child death.

Kier operated as Assistant Chief Constable Operations from 2014 and graduated from the strategic command course in March 2016. As ACC he led the force response and community policing functions, intelligence directorate, criminal justice, prevention command and the emergency crime and communications centre. As ACC he was the Chief Officer lead for an operational collaboration between Avon and Somerset Police, Gloucestershire Constabulary and Wiltshire Police in the delivery of specialist firearms, roads policing, dog units, firearms training and major crime capabilities.

In 2018, Kier was appointed Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, a position he held for five successive years until his retirement in June 2023. Upon his appointment, he led the force and partners through two unprecedented major incidents in the city of Salisbury and surrounding town of Amesbury following the Novichok nerve agent attack.

As Chief Constable, Kier chaired the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Resilience Forum (LRF) where he coordinated partnership activity in both preparation and response to major events and emergencies, including the protection of our critical national infrastructure. He led the LRF through multiple major incidents, including Covid-19 and the partnership response to extreme weather.

Kier also held the NPCC portfolio for the Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme where he worked with the Home Office programme team and national stakeholders to prepare the police service for transition from the Airwave radio system to the new Emergency Services Network.

He is proud to have served as a detective in each rank during his career with Wiltshire Police and to have operated as a hostage and crisis negotiator.

Kier was also a College of Policing assessor and executive coach to underrepresented members of the national talent programme, and in 2021 he graduated from the Cabinet Office National Leadership Centre development programme, where he further harnessed his passion for working with partners and cross-sector leaders.

As MDP DCC, Kier will support Chief Constable Melanie Dales in leading the force and delivering an effective policing service for Defence.

Chief Constable Melanie Dales said:

I am delighted that Kier will be joining us as Deputy Chief Constable. His breadth of senior leadership experience in policing will help strengthen the force as we continue to build our capability to serve Defence, improve our culture, and evolve to face new challenges.

We are all very much looking forward to welcoming Kier to the force and working with him in his new role.

In his spare time, Kier loves running and being with his family. He is married to Anna, a senior crown prosecutor for Wessex CPS, and is the proud father of five children (four sons and one daughter).

Commenting on his appointment as MDP DCC, Kier said:

I am proud to have been given this opportunity to help lead the MDP, as a force which provides unique, specialist policing to protect the nation’s defence and national infrastructure.

It will be an honour to serve Defence, and I am looking forward to the new and exciting challenges this will bring, working together with military and policing colleagues.