SAOIRSE32

By Simon Doyle Education Correspondent
Irish News
12/12/08

Security experts in London believe PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde is almost certain to be the next Metropolitan Police commissioner.

It is understood Sir Hugh has let it be known that he thinks he will be unsuccessful in his application but security insiders and the bookies disagree.

His likely departure has also led to speculation about his possible successor in Northern Ireland.

Sir Hugh joined the police in 1977 and rose to PSNI chief constable in September 2002.

He was involved in the inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence and played a major role in an investigation into state collusion allegations following several sectarian murders in Northern Ireland.

His time in the north is said to have fast-tracked him to the top of the Met’s candidate list.

Experts say he was groomed to follow former Met chief John Stevens and his time away during the turbulence of the Sir Ian Blair years has helped strengthen his position.

In the advertisements for the Met commissioner’s post it was stressed that the successful candidate will “demonstrate an outstanding track record in countering terrorism, serious and organised crime and serious violent crime”.

This, experts say, is very much Sir Hugh’s territory.

They add however, that there appears to be no high profile officers within the PSNI ranks that would meet the criteria required to succeed Sir Hugh.

Two of the north’s most senior officers – Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton and Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland – are both expected to leave the service under the Patton scheme.

Former assistant chief constable Peter Sheridan also left under Patton and took up the post as chief executive of Cooperation Ireland, a cross-border charity set up to strengthen community relations.

It has been suggested that the other assistant chief constables, who include Judith Gillespie and Drew Harris, would not have the necessary experience to take the PSNI’s top job.

Policing Board member Jimmy Spratt, who was also a former chairman of the Police Federation, said the chief constable was one of the strongest applicants for the Met post.

“We are talking about a hypothetical situation but I think that the chief constable Hugh Orde is in with a good chance of the Met job. He meets all the criteria given his role in counter-terrorism and with change in the service,” Mr Spratt said.

“I think he will be a hard act to follow and there are going to be some challenging times ahead with the possibility of devolution of policing and justice.”