The Commissioner of Police Ian McGrail OTM M.Sc is pleased to announce that the Gibraltar Police Authority has agreed to the re-designation of the Chief Superintendent’s post with the approval of the Minister for Justice representing Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar. The said post will now be designated, Assistant Commissioner. This will not represent a change to the post’s existing Terms and Conditions or remuneration.

This follows a review of the RGP’s present rank structure commissioned by Mr McGrail, which established that the existing rank did not faithfully represent the role being performed by the Chief Superintendent either within the organisation or in multi-agency fora.

In illustrating his point, the Commissioner explained that the current bearer of the rank performed a role more akin to that of an Assistant Chief Constable in a UK county force or Commander in the Metropolitan Police. By way of only one example, the Chief Superintendent chairs the second tier of Gibraltar’s National Security apparatus, the Executive Committee of the Gibraltar Contingency Council (EXCO- GCC). Most of the members of which are Heads of Department.

Furthermore, the Commissioner believed that the existing designation was not representative of the post’s position in the RGP hierarchy as de facto second in command of the organisation and indeed the person that acts for the Commissioner in the latter’s absence.

In explaining his rationale, Commissioner McGrail stated that there was too large a gap between the senior ranks, with four ranks existing between that of the Chief Superintendent rank and Commissioner in the force the RGP is modelled upon, the Metropolitan Police. He added that whilst the differences between the two organizations were stark, not least in size, it nevertheless provided a valuable reference point for the re-designation. Mr McGrail said ‘Rank structures and insignia exist for a purpose and the RGP now has a demonstrably balanced senior command structure.’

The present incumbent will assume the post of Assistant Commissioner with immediate effect.

As part of the same review process, there will be other adjustments to the rank structure at other levels within the organisation and an announcement will be made in due course.