Merseyside Police has welcomed Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Holland

MERSEYSIDE Police has welcomed back Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Holland, from South Wales Police, following the retirement of ACC Andy Ward, on Friday, 15 January 2016. ACC Holland has taken responsibility for the Matrix Serious and Organised Crime portfolio. She also has responsibility for TITAN, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit. ACC Ward, who joined the force in 1983 at the age of 20. He is originally from Ulverston, undertook a variety of uniform, plain clothes and CID duties across Liverpool during his early career including working within the Force Major Incident Team investigating high profile murders. He also spent some time at the Regional Crime Squad, tackling serious cross border issues. He was deputy head of the Complaint Investigation Bureau as a Detective Chief Inspector before moving to the Major Crime Unit tackling organised crime in Merseyside, during which time he oversaw some of the largest drug seizures in the country. Andy was later promoted to Superintendent with responsibility for Operational Support in the Liverpool North Area in March 2003 and then went to St Helens as the area commander with responsibility for delivering Neighbourhood Policing to the local communities. Andy returned to Liverpool North in March 2005, as Area Commander, leading and directing more than 1,150 Police and Police staff within 1 of the largest and most challenging BCUs in the country. His roles within Liverpool North, included being Match Commander at Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs and Force Hostage Negotiator Co-ordinator. In October 2007 Andy took up the post of Temporary ACC Chief Constable (ACC), Personnel and Development, holding responsibility for Recruiting and Resourcing, Personnel Strategy, Personnel Policy and Management, and Development and Training. Following successful completion of the Strategic Command Course in 2009, Andy was promoted to ACC Matrix Serious and Organised Crime with responsibility for protecting vulnerable people, overseeing force operations, combating the threat from serious and organised crime and terrorism. He was also an accredited Gold public order and firearms commander and was part of the National Counter Terrorism Command cadre. Andy was also the National Policing lead for surveillance and National Policing lead for interoperability, as well as the Regional lead for Serious and Organised Crime in the North West.

In September 2012 Andy undertook the role of Temporary Deputy Chief Constable within the force for a period of 12 months before returning to his role as ACC Matrix Serious and Organised Crime.   ACC Andy Ward, said:- "I have loved every minute of my almost 33 years as a Police officer serving the communities of Merseyside. I am fortunate to have enjoyed a wonderful career and I'm incredibly proud of what I have achieved with the support of some of the most exceptional people anybody could wish to work alongside, both inside and outside the Police service. Policing in Merseyside is never simply plain sailing and whilst challenging, I can think of no career more rewarding and it has left me with so many wonderful memories. The last 13 years with the force (8 years as a Chief Officer and five years as an Area Commander), have been truly unforgettable. Working alongside probably the most experienced and professional senior Officers and staff in the country has been a privilege. There have been countless challenges, from leading the fight against serious and organised crime across both the force and region, to commanding many of the high profile operations the force has seen, including the serious disturbances in the summer of 2011. I must say, however, that being awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the Queen's birthday honours in 2013 was the highlight of my career. I look back and see how policing now is unrecognisable to when I joined more than 30 years ago. Despite the massive financial challenges we have faced, I leave a fantastic and professional organisation committed to making the community a safer place. I really struggled making the decision to retire and I have had an amazing journey over the last 30 years, but as they say, 'all good things have finally got to come to an end."

ACC Andy ward has been replaced by ACC Nikki Holland, who is returning to Merseyside after being promoted to ACC in South Wales in 2014.

Nikki joined Merseyside Police in 1988 at the age of 19 and was posted to Lower Lane Police station, before working in other neighbourhood areas in Liverpool and Knowsley. She is the fourth generation of her family to have served local communities in Merseyside; her father, grandfather and great grandfather were Police Officers in Liverpool. She spent the majority of her service as a detective and served as DCI in Liverpool South and Sefton, leading on numerous murder enquiries, major incidents and the force diversity Programme in 2007. In 2009 she was promoted to Superintendent in St Helens and she became Chief Superintendent for Sefton in 2012.

In 2014 Nikki left Merseyside and was appointed Assistant Chief Constable at South Wales Police with responsibility for specialist crime, which included the Joint Scientific Investigation Unit, Major Crime and Force Intelligence. She was also the regional ACC for Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit and Wales' Extremis and Counter Terrorism Unit. During her time with South Wales Police, Nikki enjoyed a number of key successes across her wide ranging portfolio which included leading the Police response to the publication of the video 'No Life Without Jihad.' Nikki worked tirelessly with the local Islamic Community to prevent radicalisation and improve community relations. ACC Holland, who is married and has an 18 year old son and 2 step daughters, said:- "I am absolutely delighted to be back in Merseyside and I hope that some of the learning I have had in South Wales in the last 19 months will stand me in good stead in my new post. I am really looking forward to the challenges that the force has to offer and I am committed to making the streets of Merseyside safer for our communities."

ACC Holland is joined on the command team by Ngaire Waine, who will have responsibility of Temporary ACC for Operations, Criminal Justice and Call Handling. T/ACC will fulfil the role, previously held by ACC Ian Pilling who has been appointed as Deputy Chief Constable at Greater Manchester Police, until someone is appointed in to the position in the coming months.

T/ACC Waine joined Merseyside Police in 1994 and has worked in various roles across the force. Prior to taking up the temporary post was Chief Superintendent in charge of the Contact, Crime and Resolution Department, which is responsible for the ways in which the public make contact with the Police both in emergency and non emergency situations. She was also the Area Commander for Liverpool South.