New Isle of Man police chief promises organised crime crackdown

Russ Foster is moving from West Yorkshire Police to take on the job

The Isle of Man's new chief constable has promised to prioritise dismantling organised crime gangs when he takes on the role next year.

Russ Foster said he wants to build on the past successes of operations to seize drugs and illicit cash coming to the island.

He hopes to "reinforce the borders" by creating a "hostile environment" for offenders.

Mr Foster said there were also road safety challenges on the island.

Currently finishing off a period as deputy chief of West Yorkshire Police, he will replace Gary Roberts, who retires after a decade of service.

Mr Foster said he will bring "significant experience" in tackling drug-related crime in particular.

He pledged to continue to develop relationships with partners including the National Crime Agency and the north west regional organised crime units.

Almost £219,000 in drugs and criminal cash was seized by police during a four-month operation in 2021 known as Operation Strongbox, which monitored Manx ports and postal services.

He also reflected on a recent damning report by the UK police watchdog, which found some officers including sexual predators found their way into forces when they should have failed vetting tests.

Mr Foster said he would ensure robust recruitment checks are in place.

As a former head of professional standards, he said he had already sent two officers to prison for being corrupt.

Other priorities would include tackling youth offending and cyber-crime, he said.

"There are also challenges around road safety and the number of killed and seriously injured people on the roads" he added.

Mr Foster will formally become the island's chief constable on 1 April.