(1)Each police force must have one or more deputy chief constables.
(2)The chief constable of a police force must consult the relevant police and crime commissioner before increasing the number of deputy chief constables which the force has.
(3)The chief constable of a police force must consult the relevant police and crime commissioner before appointing a person to be a deputy chief constable of the force.
(4)The chief constable of a police force may suspend from duty a deputy chief constable of that police force.
(5)The chief constable of a police force may call upon a deputy chief constable of that police force to resign or retire.
(6)A deputy chief constable must resign or retire if called upon to do so by the chief constable in accordance with subsection (5).
(7)Subsections (3) to (6) are subject to regulations under section 50 of the Police Act 1996.
(8)Subsections (4) to (6) are subject to Part 3 of Schedule 8 (suspension and removal of other senior police officers).
(9)In this section “police force” means the police force for a police area listed in Schedule 1 to the Police Act 1996 (police areas outside London).