4Chief constables
(1)Subject to the provisions of section 19(2)(a) of this Act and of any regulations made under Part II of this Act, the police authority shall, after consultation with, and subject to the approval of, the Secretary of State, appoint the chief constable of the police force maintained for their area.
(2)A person appointed to the office of chief constable of a police force shall hold the rank of chief constable.
(3)The same person may, with the consent of the police authorities concerned, be appointed chief constable of more than one police force.
(4)Subject to the following provisions of this section, a person appointed to the office of chief constable of a police force—
(a)may resign his appointment in accordance with regulations made under Part II of this Act; or
(b)may in accordance with regulations made as aforesaid be required by the police authority to resign his appointment; or
(c)may in accordance with regulations made as aforesaid be dismissed by the police authority; or
(d)may, without prejudice to those regulations, be called on to retire by the police authority, acting with the approval of the Secretary of State, where they consider that his retirement is in the interests of efficiency;
but otherwise shall remain in office until the termination of his appointment by death or the expiration of any period of tenure specified in the terms thereof, whichever event shall first occur.
(5)Before seeking the approval of the Secretary of State under paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of this section the police authority shall give the chief constable an opportunity to make representations and shall consider any representations so made.
(6)A chief constable who is called on to retire as aforesaid shall retire on such date as the police authority may specify when calling on him to retire or on such earlier date as may be agreed upon between him and the police authority.
(7)Nothing in subsection (4) of this section shall prejudice the operation of section 23(2) of this Act, or of any enactment providing for retirement by virtue of section 1 of the [1948 c. 24.] Police Pensions Act 1948 (police pension regulations).