In 2023 Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie was appointed the Executive Lead for Operational Support. His role is integral to enhancing policing nationally by providing specialist policing functions, support and assistance to Local Policing. The portfolio is split into three distinct areas of business namely, Specialist Services, Emergency Events and Resilience Planning (EERP), and Road Policing.
ACC Ritchie joined Strathclyde Police in 1991 and was a Superintendent leading the Local Policing Development and Support Team at the inception of Police Scotland in 2013. He was promoted to Chief Superintendent and appointed Divisional Commander of Dumfries and Galloway in 2016.
From 2018, he worked in Operational Change and Resilience. In 2019 he was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable and as ACC for Partnership Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing was responsible for developing innovative approaches, based around principles of public health and working with other public services to achieve better outcomes for communities. ACC Ritchie led on groundbreaking initiatives including the rollout of Naloxone to every operational police officer in Scotland, the establishment of the Police Scotland / Public Health Scotland collaboration and the development of initiatives to reduce vulnerability in communities.
ACC Ritchie also had responsibility for international policing development and established the Police Scotland International Academy, overseeing Police Scotland’s contribution to capacity building in developing countries across the world and instituting International Policing Leadership programmes with other forces and governments across the globe. He has extensive experience as a major events commander, Strategic Firearms Commander, and Gold Public Order Commander.
