New Chief Inspector takes command at Stoke North Local Policing Team

A new Chief Inspector has been appointed to take command at the Stoke North Local Policing Team (LPT).

Chief Inspector Scott McGrath brings over 20-years’ experience to his new role after succeeding the previous commander, Chief Inspector Simon Brownsword.

He began his post on Monday (31 October) and will be working closely with Inspector Hayley Eaton and local officers to tackle community priorities as part of the force’s approach to neighbourhood policing.

Scott has been with the force for over two decades and has succeeded in a number of uniform and detective roles, including CID, the force’s intelligence department, neighbourhood policing and force command.

In recent years, Scott has been a Detective Inspector within CID and undertook an Inspector role with neighbouring LPT Stoke South, helping to implement the force’s new operating model. This allowed local officers to investigate crime more effectively and prioritise concerns and issues which mattered most to the local community. He was also seconded to the UK Border Agency for 18 months.

Ch Insp McGrath said: “Firstly, I’d like to extend my gratitude to the previous commander, Simon Brownsword, who has worked diligently to build such a strong foundation in the team.

“I know from experience that neighbourhood officers need an extensive knowledge of their local area and the community which they are serving. It’s clear from my first few days that the officers in this team are passionate about local policing and making sure the public feel like they can speak to us in confidence.

“I will be spending the next few weeks getting familiar with the areas and communities I cover, understanding the issues which matter to them and how my team can be best implemented to tackle these as robustly as possible.

“This involves speaking with our partners and local authorities to make sure crime in Stoke North is tackled proportionately by officers who are committed to serving the public and being a visible force in the local community.”