Former bobby on the beat lands top role (From Warrington Guardian)

Former bobby on the beat lands top role

1:10pm Friday 4th December 2009

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THE town’s new top policeman is looking forward to ‘coming back home’ and meeting residents after being appointed in the role.

Chief Superintendent Richard Strachan started his career as a bobby in Warrington 27 years ago and is delighted to be returning to the town’s hard working culture to command the northern area.

We have a huge commitment to reducing anti-social behaviour, that is really important to increasing confidence ... people’s confidence is related to how safe they feel where they live

– Ch Supt Richard Strachan

He is replacing Ch Sup Gary Finchett who is moving to the Falkland Islands to head up community policing.

Ch Supt said one of his biggest challenges will be continuing to develop high quality services against reducing budgets.

“The drinking culture and how it links to serious violent crime remains a concern.

“We still see serious incidents and each one of these is a potential homicide “We also have a huge commitment to reducing anti-social behaviour. That is really important to increasing confidence (of residents). People’s confidence is related to how safe they feel where they live,” he said.

Ch Sup Strachan, aged 47, said other priorities are cracking down on serious inquisitive crime, robbery and street robberies. He would also like to see the continuation of neighbourhood policing.

“In every area, whether we are tackling organised serious criminals or people suspect someone might be causing risk to children, we absolutely rely on information provided by the community.

“If people haven’t got confidence in us, the chain breaks. We always need to be more visible and more accessible,” he added.

Ch Sup Strachan has worked throughout Cheshire in different posts including the criminal investigation department.

He worked on high profile cases such as the murder of Garry Newlove and Harry Upton, the pensioner who was killed in his home in Culcheth in 2002.

Before joining the police at 19 he was a dairy farm labourer.

He said: “Since I joined the police I have loved it. It is the right job for me. I enjoy building up relationships and helping people. That is what lights me up.”

“The thing that is good about policing is that it is not just one career, you can have a number of careers within the career.

“I have done a wide range of police roles and everything I have done I have thoroughly enjoyed.”

Ch Sup Strachan was working in Warrington during the IRA bombs in 1993 and said seeing Bridge Street in the aftermath of attacks was like the world had changed.

He was born in Davenham, Northwich, and still lives in Cheshire. He has been married for 22 years and has three children, one girl and two boys.

In his free time he is a school governor at a primary school.

But while his new job involves lots of meetings, he is determined to be seen out on the streets.

He said: “I’m the sort of officer who likes to get out and I will be meeting people as much as I can.

“I love my job. I really like to be challenged and to be busy. I thrive on it.”

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