A BRADFORD police officer is to take up a command role at Greater Manchester Police.

Chief Superintendent Mabs Hussain, District Commander of Wakefield Police, has been appointed as an Assistant Chief Constable in Greater Manchester.

He said: “I’ve been hugely proud to serve communities across West Yorkshire across my policing career, starting in my home city of Bradford and finishing in Wakefield.

“Working across the force here has been a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to joining an organisation which I know has the same values and commitment to public service.”

Chief Supt Hussain became District Commander of Wakefield District Police in 2016 after a career spent across West Yorkshire Police, starting in Bradford as a uniformed PC, before moving to CID with spells at Leeds and then Wakefield following.

During his time in West Yorkshire he worked as a detective at all ranks, rising to Detective Chief Inspector investigating serious and complex crime in Bradford.

Mr Hussain was promoted to Superintendent in 2012 and worked directly for the Chief Officer Team as head of force performance, with a focus on the rehabilitation of offenders and improving the care provided to persons with mental health issues.

He was posted to Leeds District in 2013 as Head of Neighbourhood Operations and became temporary Leeds District Commander in 2015. During this period he had responsibility for managing the impact of the attempted murder and rape in Beeston, Leeds, committed by Zdenko Turtak.

In recent years he has commanded the force response to a number of large scale events as both a Silver and then Gold Commander, including high-profile right-wing protests in Leeds and Wakefield in summer 2018.

This year saw Chief Supt Hussain receive an MBE during the Queen’s birthday celebrations for his services to charity and policing.

He continues to support a number of charitable projects, including Wakefield based Penny Appeal, which Wakefield Police has supported in delivering a number of multi-cultural events.

The chief superintendent also played a significant role in the force’s recent positive recruitment campaign and has regularly spoken on the national stage about inclusion in the police service.

He added: “I’m extremely proud to have been born and raised in West Yorkshire, serving communities here for 22 years and I am sad to be leaving behind friends and colleagues who I’ve worked closely with.

“Policing has changed a great deal during my career in West Yorkshire with many positive developments in terms of the force’s focus on the needs of communities and victims in particular.

“We have become more adaptive and sophisticated and now operate a broad based partnership approach to work with partners in councils, health, education and in the charity sector to provide a broader spectrum service to try and address the root causes of problems.

“I now look forward to the challenges ahead, and in working with new policing family with the same values and beliefs in Greater Manchester.”

West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Dee Collins, said: “I am delighted for Mabs and would like to congratulate him on being appointed as an Assistant Chief Constable with Greater Manchester Police.

“Mabs was born in Bradford and has spent his entire policing career serving our communities in West Yorkshire dealing with the many and varied challenges and building successful partnerships to tackle them.

“Mabs is an outstanding leader and I would like to wish him well in the next stage of his career. I am confident he will have a similar very positive impact on the communities served by Greater Manchester Police.”