position on 4 December 2017. Scottish Police Authority In 2017, the Scottish Government announced Deacon's appointment as Chair of the Scottish Police Authority, the national body charged with oversight of Police Scotland, the UK's second largest police service. The third person to hold the position since the creation of a unified police service for Scotland in 2012. Deacon's appointment was widely welcomed, coming as it did on the back of significant criticism of the body and its previous Chair. Deacon signalled a series of early changes in the Authority including a more transparent and outward facing approach and the appointment of a number of new Board members. Since becoming Chair, Deacon has presided over a number of changes in the leadership of Police Scotland. The previous Chief Constable Phil Gormley resigned in February 2017 and a number of new senior officers have since been appointed to the leadership team. It is anticipated that a new Chief Constable will be announced in August 2018. In 2019, Deacon resigned from her position as Chair of the Scottish Police Authority. She noted that "the governance and accountability arrangements for policing in Scotland are fundamentally flawed, in structure, culture and practice". She suggested that in order to resolve these problems the Scottish government needs to consider how policing is scrutinised in Scotland and if, perhaps, there needs to be a better separation of politics and policing. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon rejected Deacon's claims and said that the SPA would continue to make improvements. Awards and honours Deacon was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to business, education, and public service. Personal life Deacon lives in Prestonpans, East Lothian with her husband John Boothman and their two children. References External links 1964 births Living people Labour MSPs Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People from Musselburgh Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003 Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007 People educated at Musselburgh Grammar School Health ministers of Scotland Members of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh constituencies Women members of the Scottish Government 20th-century Scottish women politicians Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Academics of Queen Margaret University