Surrey's new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Kevin Hurley has extended the term of appointment of Surrey Police’s Chief Constable, Lynne Owens.

Ms Owens, who was appointed the county's first woman Chief Constable in February, has had her term extended until November 2017.

Due to Home Office restrictions in place at the time of her appointment, her then-employers, the now-defunct Surrey Police Authority, could only offer her a limited term of appointment up to November 2014. Now Police Regulations permit the PCC to extend that appointment by three years.

Mr Hurley said: “I have taken this decision to ensure the continuity of leadership that Surrey Police needs to deliver a zero-tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour and crime, provide more visible street policing, and improve victim care.”

Ms Owens was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for distinguished service in the New Year's Honours of 2008.

In 2010, she took up the post of an Assistant Commissioner with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), and was the lead for public order policing in London, including for the delivery of the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. She also led the Specialist Crime Directorate.

Ms Owens began her police career in the MPS, posted to Catford in South East London, before transferring to Kent Police on promotion to Sergeant, where she trained and specialised as a detective. As a Detective Chief Inspector, she was posted to the force major crime department as a Senior Investigating Officer. Ms Owens transferred to Surrey Police in 2002, becoming a Divisional Commander in 2003, and in 2005 was appointed Temporary Assistant Chief Constable (Specialist Operations). She qualified as a Gold firearms Commander and took Gold Command of a number of critical incidents. She was later appointed Assistant Chief Constable (Territorial Operations), with responsibility for territorial divisions, partnership, criminal justice and neighbourhood policing. In March 2008, she was appointed as the Temporary Deputy Chief Constable, before transferring to the MPS in April 2009, having been appointed substantively as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner responsible for Territorial Policing. In December 2010, she took up post as an Assistant Commissioner and was appointed to the MPS Management Board, before her appointment to head the Surrey Force.

Website: www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk