Definition: Generate an appropriate title for the given text. The generated title must be short and include the main topic of the text. The preferred titles are under fifteen words.
Input: By Paul O'HareBBC Scotland news website Fast forward 12 months and he has been named as the third chief constable to lead the force since it was launched more than five years ago. The Scottish Police Authority's announcement comes as no surprise but it is a remarkable turnaround for Mr Livingstone. In 2015 he was widely regarded as the popular choice to replace Sir Stephen House after he resigned amid a series of controversies. But Mr Livingstone was pipped to the top job by Phil Gormley who had no experience of policing in Scotland. Despite his disappointment he remained a key part of the executive team before dropping the bombshell last summer that he would be retiring in the autumn. The decision was a surprise as officers traditionally opt to draw their pension after 30 years' service. Mr Livingstone was calling it a day after 25 years in a fresh blow to a force that seemed to be lurching from one crisis to another. Career change If his retirement bucked convention so too did his route into the police. Mr Livingstone, 51, graduated in law from the Universities of Aberdeen and Strathclyde before working as a solicitor in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London. But in 1992 he decided to change career and joined Lothian and Borders Police. Mr Livingstone served in Edinburgh and West Lothian as a patrol officer and detective. Despite his rapid rise through the ranks he once faced an allegation about his behaviour at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan but was later exonerated. Mr Livingstone, who studied in New York City as part of a Fulbright Scholarship, was later promoted to head of CID before being named assistant chief constable crime. When Police Scotland replaced the old eight-force model in 2013, he was appointed deputy chief constable crime and operations. But in 2017 Mr Livingstone started to seriously consider life beyond the police and he was serving his notice when Mr Gormley's tenure began to unravel. The cracks first appeared in July last year when it emerged he was being investigated for misconduct. A drip feed of allegations followed over the next six weeks and on 8 September Mr Gormley was placed on special leave. More than ever the force needed strong leadership and Mr Livingstone was asked to postpone his retirement. After discussing the matter at length with his wife and family, he agreed to stay on. Confirming the move, Mr Livingstone said: "Given the uncertainty and challenges currently facing Police Scotland, I consider it my duty to remain in service. "My focus now will be on ensuring that we continue to deliver day-to-day policing services to the people of Scotland and on providing the leadership and assurance that is needed at this time. "We have a strong and resilient command team in place and we have thousands of dedicated and hard-working police officers and staff who remain committed to providing an excellent service to the people of Scotland." Mr Livingstone took charge of the force as deputy chief constable designate as the Phil Gormley saga continued to rumble on. The former deputy director of the National Crime Agency, who denied any wrongdoing, finally quit in February. Like Sir Stephen before him, he failed to see out his contract. This time round the SPA could not afford to take any risks. If bookmakers had opened a next chief constable of Police Scotland market then one officer would have been the odds on favourite. Indeed the momentum behind Mr Livingstone was such that his appointment was widely viewed as a done deal from the moment Mr Gormley resigned. The job was formally advertised in May and in June BBC Scotland revealed the ex-lawyer was one of three shortlisted candidates. And after what the SPA described as an "extremely rigorous and robust selection process" Mr Livingstone was confirmed on Wednesday as the new chief on a four-year deal. Looking ahead to the challenge, he said: "Policing has been my life and the demands on it are developing faster today than at any time in my career. "It is my job now to lead and drive change in policing to adapt to those challenges and to build on the values, ethos and traditions of policing in Scotland that first attracted me to this profession 26-years ago." When he starts the pressure cooker job on 27 August he will be responsible for 22,000 officers and civilian staff and an annual budget of more than £1bn. Mr Livingstone's reward will be a salary of £216,549 and a substantially bigger pension pot when he announces his retirement for a second time. But if he can bring stability to Police Scotland and attract more positive headlines than his predecessors then many may feel he's worth it.

From early retirement to chief constable in just 12 months