Bilingual police chief? yourLETTERS.I NOTE with interest that the new chief constable Noun 1. Chief Constable - the head of the police force in a county (or similar area) Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; of the North Wales Police North Wales Police (Welsh: Heddlu Gogledd Cymru) is the Home Office police force responsible for policing North Wales. The headquarters are in Colwyn Bay, with divisional headquarters in St Asaph, Caernarfon and Wrexham. is to be a Mr Mark Polin, who was previously deputy chief constable Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) is the second highest rank in all British territorial police forces (except the Metropolitan Police, in which the equivalent rank is Deputy Assistant Commissioner, and City of London Police, in which the equivalent rank is Assistant in Gloucestershire, and who has also gained experience in discretion the London Met. The details of his appointment listed his previous experience (which is substantial), but omitted to inform us if he is (a) able to speak fluent Welsh: (b) unable to speak any Welsh; or (c) has learnt some Welsh and is in the process of acquiring greater fluency. It is reported that Mr Polin is English. I have no objection to a new Chief Constable being English, German or Pakistani, provided that he or she can competently head the bilingual police service which the North Wales Police has become and which we expect it to remain. After all, the most junior ranks in the police in countries such as Belgium and Switzerland are bilingual, or even multilingual. In consequence they are able to cope with the linguistic needs of the populations which they serve. Will Mr Polin be able to do this, and if so, to what extent? Surely your readers deserve to be told. Dr Robyn Lewis Nefyn |
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