Sir Ronnie Flanagan is to join Her Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary, the police watchdog for England and Wales, the British Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, announced yesterday.
The North's Chief Constable could take up his new post as early as next week, but the decision as to when he retires as head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland will not be taken by the Policing Board until tomorrow. Sir Ronnie will oversee forces in the eastern region of England including London's Metropolitan Police Service, a prestigious move which is seen as recognising his contribution to the RUC and PSNI. Last November Sir Ronnie handed in his resignation to the board which oversees policing.
He is obliged to serve three months' notice and that term expires on Thursday, February 28th. The board is empowered to release the Chief Constable or request that he stays on until a successor is appointed. It can also seek changes to his terms of employment if an additional term is served. Members of the board contacted last night by The Irish Times thought it probable Sir Ronnie would not be Chief Constable by the end of March, if not the end of next week. The 19 party-political and independent members of the board are anxious to build on their successes over the agreement on a new police crest and on a way forward for the Omagh bombing investigation.
Either way, Mr Colin Cramphorn, the Deputy Chief Constable, could serve as acting chief constable for several months and lead the police service at a key time in its short history. The appointment of Sir Ronnie is being seen as politically neat but may provide the Policing Board with some operational difficulties. Mr Cramphorn, if he becomes acting Chief Constable, may be in charge for some months and therefore deal with contentious questions surrounding the future of the full-time police reserve, the graduation of the first recruits to the new police service and next summer's loyalist marching season.
The Patten report suggested the future of the reserve be decided by the board after review by the chief constable. This responsibility could now fall to Mr Cramphorn.Following Sir Ronnie's high-profile tenure of office, Mr Cramphorn will begin as a relative unknown. His English background also contrasts with that of recent chief constables. Welcoming the appointment, the Northern Secretary said: "This is a tribute to Sir Ronnie's leadership, to the police service he leads, and to the people of Northern Ireland whom he has served so well."
The chairman of the Policing Board, Prof Desmond Rea, said: "The appointment is a tribute to Sir Ronnie's contribution to the policing of Northern Ireland through 30 difficult years." Mr Alex Attwood, the SDLP policing spokesman, said: "While there are legitimate and enduring concerns about his approach to certain policing matters, Ronnie Flanagan did make a contribution to the safe delivery of policing change and useful intervention in the Patten debate."
For the DUP, Mr Ian Paisley jnr said it was a "significant appointment" which reflected well on the North's police. However, he added: "I would be concerned that we would have a police service without a leader during an important time. That doesn't look like effective or good management."
An independent member of the board who wished for an early departure for Sir Ronnie said: "He should be given full credit for implementing Patten and no doubt he will contribute well to the work of HMIC."
The Ulster Unionists are to replace two of their members on the Policing Board following yesterday's reshuffle of Executive places by Mr David Trimble. Mr James Leslie and Mr Ivan Davis will stand down from the board to become a junior minister and chief whip respectively. They will be replaced by Mr Sam Foster, the former environment minister, and Mr Alan McFarland, a North Down Assembly member.