A golfer with a wealth of policing experience is ready for a hole new challenge after being named the new District Commander for Havant and East Hampshire.

And Chief Inspector Matt Moss is keen to swing into action, as he expects his team to “relentlessly pursue” people committing crimes in the likes of Alton, Bordon, Petersfield and the surrounding villages and rural areas.

His appointment was confirmed on Tuesday (August 5) by Hampshire Police and is the latest step in a 24-year police career which began in Gosport in 2001.

He previously led the Triage Hub at the police’s Contact Management Department while his predecessor, C/Insp Alex Charge has been promoted to Superintendent and is now District Commander for Southampton.

C/Insp Moss spent ten years in Portsmouth after moving across the harbour in 2005 before joining the Licensing Team. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2017 and led the Hedge End Neighbourhood Policing teams before becoming an Inspector on a temporary basis and being posted to the Isle of Wight.

A permanent promotion and a switch to the Police Control Room followed in 2021 with his role as a Force Incident Manager involving firearms and the day-to-day deployment of officers across the force.

C/Insp Moss was promoted to Chief Inspector in 2023 and has overseen the development of the ‘Triage Hub’, a department which reviews the majority of incoming crime reports received from a variety of sources.

Outside of work, the married father of two daughters grew up in the Waterlooville area and also went to school and college locally. He is a keen golfer and as part of this also organises the Force’s golf section, who play friendly fixtures against several local clubs – including in the Havant and East Hampshire districts.

C/Insp Moss said: “I’m delighted to be appointed as the District Commander for Havant and East Hampshire”.

“The two districts encompass such a wide array of policing challenges, which I know my teams will work night and day to tackle.

“I am a big believer in being as visible and connected with our communities as possible. I believe in leading from the front, so do not be surprised if you see me out and about or see a post from me directly on our social media channels.

“Please don’t hesitate to engage with us in any way you can, I am very keen to have input from our communities on our policing priorities.

“If you are unfortunate enough to be a victim of a crime, I expect my teams to contact you, be clear with you on what we are doing and update you regularly with our progress.

“I expect my teams to relentlessly pursue those who are committing crime in our towns, villages or in our rural areas, but to best do this, we need the public’s help.

“The information you provide plays a vital role in helping us police our communities as effectively as possible, and we encourage you to report any information which could assist us.”