Our Executive Team
Dorset is led by the Executive and scrutinised by the PCC, Martyn Underhill.
James Vaughan
Chief Constable
Scott Chilton
Deputy Chief Constable
Sam De-Reya
Assistant Chief Constable
Mark Callaghan
Assistant Chief Officer (Temporary)
Stephen Mackenzie
Chief Finance Officer
Mike Stamp
Director of Legal
James Vaughan
Chief Constable
Dorset Police is headed by Chief Constable James Vaughan, supported by chief officers with responsibilities for aspects of the Force.
Accountable for operational delivery of policing services to people of Dorset.
Fulfil statutory and legal obligations of the office/Corporation Sole.
Accountable for force financial management and budget setting.
Strategic Partnership relationships and stakeholder management.
On promotion he served as a Detective Sergeant and Detective Inspector in Swindon up to 2005, when he was selected to join the High Potential Development Scheme. As a Chief Inspector he undertook the role of staff officer to the Chief Constable and later led the centralisation of roads policing within the Operations Division.
Promoted to Detective Superintendent in 2007, James led Wiltshire’s response to major, serious and organised crime and delivered significant capability development, whilst leading and managing numerous murders and other major crime investigations.
Upon promotion to Chief Superintendent, James led the development of Citizen Focused Policing, Partnerships and Safer Neighbourhoods across Wiltshire and was later the Head of Criminal Investigation.
In 2011, James successfully completed the Strategic Command Course. He joined Dorset Police as Assistant Chief Constable in May 2012.
Following promotion to Deputy Chief Constable in 2013, James has led on strategic change, planning, performance, professional standards, people and community focus, and media and communication.
James has also led various regional collaboration programmes including the forensic service collaboration and the strategic alliance with Devon and Cornwall Police. In his national capacity he is the NPCC Lead for Forensic Procurement and Market Development.
In February 2017 James was appointed Deputy Chief Constable (Chief Operating Officer) for the Dorset, Devon and Cornwall Strategic Alliance.
In April 2018 he was appointed as Chief Constable for Dorset.
James holds a Masters Degree in Criminology and Police Management and has published research on his academic interests in child homicide.
James is married to Sacha and has five children. He enjoys natural history, music, sports and has an aspiration to keep fit!
The Chief Constable’s overall responsibilities are:-
Overall responsibility for leading the force, creating vision and setting direction.Accountable for operational delivery of policing services to people of Dorset.
Fulfil statutory and legal obligations of the office/Corporation Sole.
Accountable for force financial management and budget setting.
Strategic Partnership relationships and stakeholder management.
James Vaughan’s Biography
Chief Constable James Vaughan Dorset Police Chief Constable James Vaughan began his career in Wiltshire, where he started in 1992 working in various uniform and detective roles in the northern part of the county.On promotion he served as a Detective Sergeant and Detective Inspector in Swindon up to 2005, when he was selected to join the High Potential Development Scheme. As a Chief Inspector he undertook the role of staff officer to the Chief Constable and later led the centralisation of roads policing within the Operations Division.
Promoted to Detective Superintendent in 2007, James led Wiltshire’s response to major, serious and organised crime and delivered significant capability development, whilst leading and managing numerous murders and other major crime investigations.
Upon promotion to Chief Superintendent, James led the development of Citizen Focused Policing, Partnerships and Safer Neighbourhoods across Wiltshire and was later the Head of Criminal Investigation.
In 2011, James successfully completed the Strategic Command Course. He joined Dorset Police as Assistant Chief Constable in May 2012.
Following promotion to Deputy Chief Constable in 2013, James has led on strategic change, planning, performance, professional standards, people and community focus, and media and communication.
James has also led various regional collaboration programmes including the forensic service collaboration and the strategic alliance with Devon and Cornwall Police. In his national capacity he is the NPCC Lead for Forensic Procurement and Market Development.
In February 2017 James was appointed Deputy Chief Constable (Chief Operating Officer) for the Dorset, Devon and Cornwall Strategic Alliance.
In April 2018 he was appointed as Chief Constable for Dorset.
James holds a Masters Degree in Criminology and Police Management and has published research on his academic interests in child homicide.
James is married to Sacha and has five children. He enjoys natural history, music, sports and has an aspiration to keep fit!
Scott Chilton
Deputy Chief Constable
Scott Chilton was selected on Tuesday July 28, following an appointment process chaired by Chief Constable James Vaughan, supported by chief executive of Dorset Council Matthew Prosser and Gloucestershire Constabulary HR lead Caroline Hollister.
There was also a separate Stakeholder Panel, chaired by the Dorset OPCC chief executive Simon Bullock, who was supported by various representatives from the Staff Support Network.
DCC Chilton took over in October following David Lewis' retirement.
Scott's most recent role was assistant chief constable at Hampshire Police, where he was strategic lead across all investigations teams, custody, the wider criminal justice system and intelligence.
He joined the Hampshire force in 1992, working his way through uniformed policing before joining CID in 1996 and spending the next 16 years as a detective progressing through the ranks to chief superintendent.
In 2008 he was seconded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Afghanistan where he led development of policing reform and counter corruption.
Scott is an advocate of evidence-based policing and has a strong desire to ensure policing focuses its efforts on protecting the most vulnerable and targeting those criminals who cause harm and misery to our communities.
There was also a separate Stakeholder Panel, chaired by the Dorset OPCC chief executive Simon Bullock, who was supported by various representatives from the Staff Support Network.
DCC Chilton took over in October following David Lewis' retirement.
Scott's most recent role was assistant chief constable at Hampshire Police, where he was strategic lead across all investigations teams, custody, the wider criminal justice system and intelligence.
He joined the Hampshire force in 1992, working his way through uniformed policing before joining CID in 1996 and spending the next 16 years as a detective progressing through the ranks to chief superintendent.
In 2008 he was seconded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Afghanistan where he led development of policing reform and counter corruption.
Scott is an advocate of evidence-based policing and has a strong desire to ensure policing focuses its efforts on protecting the most vulnerable and targeting those criminals who cause harm and misery to our communities.
Sam De-Reya
Assistant Chief Constable
Mark Callaghan
Assistant Chief Officer (Temporary)
As T/Assistant Chief Constable (T/ACC), Mark Callaghan is head of Local Policing and Operations.
Mark started his policing career in Greater Manchester Police, having left a career in Veterinary Nursing and teaching. He worked in Oldham as a patrol officer and following the Oldham riots he moved into a proactive drugs unit, working on a variety of overt and covert operations. He later worked with prolific offenders before becoming a detective in a busy CID department, dealing with serious and complex crime.
On promotion, he returned to uniform leading a busy patrol team in central Oldham. He later worked in covert policing before setting up a proactive intelligence led neighbourhood-tasking unit.
In 2006, Mark transferred to Dorset where as a Sergeant he has worked within patrol and investigations. As Inspector, Chief Inspector and Superintendent he has undertaken roles within the Chief Officer team, (staff officer), Force Command Centre, intelligence directorate, serious and complex investigations teams, proactive policing teams & serious and organised crime.
Mark later took up the role as Detective Chief Superintendent – Commander of Crime & Criminal Justice, where he had responsibility for serious and complex investigation teams, major crime investigation teams, cybercrime, public protection, volume and Serious Acquisitive crime teams, intelligence, custody and criminal justice. He also led on a number of Dorset & Devon and Cornwall Strategic Alliance business cases.
Mark took up the role of Territorial Policing Commander in May 2018 with responsibility for patrol, neighbourhood policing, the incident resolution team and prevention department.
In October 2019 Mark was temporarily promoted to ACC Operations with overall responsibility for Territorial Policing, Operational Support, Prevention and Crime and Criminal Justice.
In addition to his day job Mark is also a specialist strategic firearms commander, multi-agency gold incident commander, a public order gold commander and a strategic manager of serious and complex investigations.
Mark is married and has two children.
The ACC's portfolio includes:
Territorial Policing- Response / Patrol
- Local Policing / Neighbourhood Policing (NHP)
- Incident Resolution Centre (IRC)
- Prevention & Citizens in Policing Department
- Crime and Criminal Justice
- Major Crime
- CID
- Economic Crime Unit (ECU) / Fraud Triage Team
- Serious Organised Crime (SOC) / Covert Policing
- Public Protection
- Intelligence Directorate
- Operations Planning
- Roads Policing
- Firearms
- Dogs
- Business Continuity Planning (BCP)
- Force Support Group (FSG) Marine/Drones
- Local Resilience Forum / Civil Contingencies
Mark started his policing career in Greater Manchester Police, having left a career in Veterinary Nursing and teaching. He worked in Oldham as a patrol officer and following the Oldham riots he moved into a proactive drugs unit, working on a variety of overt and covert operations. He later worked with prolific offenders before becoming a detective in a busy CID department, dealing with serious and complex crime.
On promotion, he returned to uniform leading a busy patrol team in central Oldham. He later worked in covert policing before setting up a proactive intelligence led neighbourhood-tasking unit.
In 2006, Mark transferred to Dorset where as a Sergeant he has worked within patrol and investigations. As Inspector, Chief Inspector and Superintendent he has undertaken roles within the Chief Officer team, (staff officer), Force Command Centre, intelligence directorate, serious and complex investigations teams, proactive policing teams & serious and organised crime.
Mark later took up the role as Detective Chief Superintendent – Commander of Crime & Criminal Justice, where he had responsibility for serious and complex investigation teams, major crime investigation teams, cybercrime, public protection, volume and Serious Acquisitive crime teams, intelligence, custody and criminal justice. He also led on a number of Dorset & Devon and Cornwall Strategic Alliance business cases.
Mark took up the role of Territorial Policing Commander in May 2018 with responsibility for patrol, neighbourhood policing, the incident resolution team and prevention department.
In October 2019 Mark was temporarily promoted to ACC Operations with overall responsibility for Territorial Policing, Operational Support, Prevention and Crime and Criminal Justice.
In addition to his day job Mark is also a specialist strategic firearms commander, multi-agency gold incident commander, a public order gold commander and a strategic manager of serious and complex investigations.
Mark is married and has two children.
Stephen Mackenzie
Chief Finance Officer
Mike Stamp
Director of Legal
Mike Stamp was appointed Director of Legal Services in September 2006, with his role developing into the Director of Legal, Reputation and Risk in 2015. His portfolio includes Legal Services in Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, and Information Management and Corporate Communications in Devon and Cornwall.
The Legal Services team provide legal advice and representation to both Forces and their Police and Crime Commissioners. Their work includes litigation (employment, civil, inquest, misconduct and judicial review), operations (civil preventative orders, licensing, public order) and general advice (duty advisor scheme for day to day legal queries, critical incident advice, and strategic advice). Members of the team regularly appear in a range of Courts to represent the interests of the Chief Constables and/or Police and Crime Commissioners.
Mike and his team regularly sit on Gold and Silver groups, which are responsible for the management of critical incidents.
As the member of the Executive with portfolio responsibility for Information Management, Mike holds the position of the Senior Information Responsible Officer on behalf of Devon and Cornwall and Dorset.
In addition, the Information Management department is responsible for Data Protection, Freedom of Information, Disclosure, Information Assurance and information sharing with partner agencies for both Devon and Cornwall and Dorset. The Alliance Information Management Department is also responsible for Records Management and Data Quality within Devon and Cornwall.
Mike also undertakes the role as Joint Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) for Devon and Cornwall and Dorset.
The Corporate Communications department covers internal and external communications including reputation management and digital media.
Mike sits on the national committee for the Association of Police Lawyers and chairs the Devon and Cornwall Police and Dorset Joint Ethics Committee and is also the co-chair of the South West Policing Regional Ethics Committee.
Mike is a qualified Solicitor, married with children and lives in Devon.
The Legal Services team provide legal advice and representation to both Forces and their Police and Crime Commissioners. Their work includes litigation (employment, civil, inquest, misconduct and judicial review), operations (civil preventative orders, licensing, public order) and general advice (duty advisor scheme for day to day legal queries, critical incident advice, and strategic advice). Members of the team regularly appear in a range of Courts to represent the interests of the Chief Constables and/or Police and Crime Commissioners.
Mike and his team regularly sit on Gold and Silver groups, which are responsible for the management of critical incidents.
As the member of the Executive with portfolio responsibility for Information Management, Mike holds the position of the Senior Information Responsible Officer on behalf of Devon and Cornwall and Dorset.
In addition, the Information Management department is responsible for Data Protection, Freedom of Information, Disclosure, Information Assurance and information sharing with partner agencies for both Devon and Cornwall and Dorset. The Alliance Information Management Department is also responsible for Records Management and Data Quality within Devon and Cornwall.
Mike also undertakes the role as Joint Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) for Devon and Cornwall and Dorset.
The Corporate Communications department covers internal and external communications including reputation management and digital media.
Mike sits on the national committee for the Association of Police Lawyers and chairs the Devon and Cornwall Police and Dorset Joint Ethics Committee and is also the co-chair of the South West Policing Regional Ethics Committee.
Mike is a qualified Solicitor, married with children and lives in Devon.