Senior police officers from Belfast, Dublin and London will today compete to become Northern Ireland’s next chief constable.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick is vying with Garda Assistant commissioner Derek Byrne and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton in the race to succeed Matt Baggott when he retires in the autumn.
All three will be interviewed by members of the PSNI’s oversight body — the NI Policing Board — in Belfast with the successful candidate due to be announced in the late afternoon or early evening.
Mr Baggott is stepping down in September after five years in the high profile role.
There is currently a period of significant flux at the top command levels of the PSNI. At the end of March, Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie retired.
Each candidate will face a panel of Policing Board members for an hour long interview. The first is due at 10.30am and the last at 2pm.
Any decision by the board will have to be approved by Stormont's Justice Minister David Ford before it is announced.
The new chief constable will face a stacked in-tray when he or she takes over.
The PSNI is currently trying to balance a dwindling budget with its ongoing fight against dissident republican terrorism.
Its resources are also being stretched trying to fulfil its obligations to both investigate and provide information to the Coroners Service in regard to historic Troubles-related cases.
Also, last year almost 850 officers were injured in rioting linked to disputes over flags and parades.
With Northern Ireland’s politicians having failed to strike any deal to resolve the issues, the spectre of a recurrence of disorder this summer again looms large.
PA