Huddersfield has a new top cop.
Chief Supt Steve Cotter, 44, is Kirklees District Commander and responsible for all policing matters in the district.
An officer for 25 years, he says he is delighted to have taken over from Tim Kingsman and is anxious to preserve, in the teeth of government cut backs, such cornerstones as Neighbourhood Policing.
Chief Supt Kingsman has moved to the force’s Protective Services unit.
But his successor knows the axe is coming later this month on November 23 when the government publishes its Comprehensive Spending Review.
This comes on top of the Examiner revelation earlier this month that there are at least 90 fewer officers than in 2010 with Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman telling of his fears over the impact of any further cuts to police budgets.
He said he was “shocked” at how many officers had been lost in recent years.
Mr Cotter, a married, father-of-one, who was brought up in Sowerby Bridge and has spent most of his career in a variety of senior positions across West Yorkshire, said: “I’m anxious to build on the excellent work done by Tim Kingsman and my focus will always be on the prevention of crime.
“What is critical to me is looking at areas where we protect the vulnerable.”
As an example he says: “If my car gets broken into I am not going to be that bothered about having a visit but if that happens to someone vulnerable then it does matter about an officer making a visit.”
Another area he is passionately keen to maintain is neighbourhood policing saying: “I am really precious about that.
“We will need to see how we can configure that with the demands of 24/7 policing.
“At the moment there’s an unknown sword hanging over us but we don’t know what it is going to look like.
“We know that the country has been overspending and so we will be watching what happens with great interest.”
As for his new role he says: “I’m hopefully here for a long time and am absolutely delighted to be here. It’s the first time in my career I have been a District Commander.
“I’m delighted because Kirklees is such a lovely place to live and work and the officers here invariably live here and have a real pride.
“It’s a community that has pride in Kirklees and is a great place to police and I want to deliver the best public service we can.
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“We have lost 96 officers in the last five years and I await the outcome of the CSR with interest and finding formally at looking what resources we have.
“We are constantly reconfiguring our service and the key is to have the right people in the right places.”
He says he was inspired to join the Force in 1990 thanks to his father William Cotter’s example who spent 32 years as a PC.
Mr Cotter said: “I had always wanted to be a police officer. I don’t like bullies and I don’t like seeing people taking advantage of people.
“I always say it as a really worthwhile occupation, to protect people.”
And he jokes that “My father is very proud of me though he hides it well.”
When he has chance to relax from his duties he says he likes nothing better than spending time with his wife and 13-year-old daughter.
And it’s not just budgets he has to keep in trim. As a former marathon runner he enjoys keeping fit with five Great North runs under his belt though his preferred distance these days are 10ks.
Stamina. He’s going to need it.
