Chief Superintendent Helen Swann has taken over from Chief Superintendent Barry McEwan who has moved to his new role at the national Licensing and Violence Reduction Division at Pitt Street, Glasgow.

Chief Superintendent Barry McEwan has been working in the division for a number of years, he was appointed divisional commander for ‘L’ division under the old Strathclyde Police, before becoming local policing commander for Argyll and West Dunbartonshire when Police Scotland came into force a year ago.

Chief Superintendent McEwan had over 25 years experience in the police force, having spent a substantial amount of time on the beat in communities, plain clothes, and detective work.

Serving a population of nearly two hundred thousand and covering a geographical area of 2,950 square miles, Argyll and West Dunbartonshire, is one of largest divisions in the country with urban, rural, and island communities.

And the new divisional commander will endevour to continue the local policing strategies including, public protection, serious crime and terrorism, violence, disorder, and antisocial behaviour and road policing.

Chief Superintendent Swann has 29 years of service and has spent most of her career in the west of Scotland and Ayrshire in both CID and uniform roles.

Chief Superintendent Swann, who took up her post on Monday, September 15, told the Advertiser: “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed to the role of local policing commander in Argyll and West Dunbartonshire. “I must pay tribute to my predecessor, Chief Superintendent McEwan who has set the bar high, and I fully intend to maintain and build on all the good work here for the continued benefit of the diverse communities in Argyll and West Dunbartonshire, for the people who live, work and visit here, and to keep people safe.”