It has been two weeks since I was appointed as Temporary Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police, following the retirement of Debbie Tedds.  Debbie served with the force for 35 years and broke new ground as the first female Chief Constable in Warwickshire Police’s history.  I wish her and her family a very happy and healthy retirement.

The Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe will run a recruitment process to appoint a permanent new lead, but as the interim Chief Constable my focus is on ensuring the force continues to deliver its commitments to the people of Warwickshire. As the previous Deputy Chief Constable and having worked in uniform and detective roles across most areas of the organisation, I am confident that our plans for the future remain strong, as do our aims to deliver the very best possible policing services for the public.

Fittingly, on my first day in the job I welcomed 20 new student officers to the force, many of whom have joined from towns and villages across the county. I feel very fortunate to lead a workforce of dedicated and committed police officers and police staff, who provide 24/7 policing services 365 days of the year. Our vision is very clear – protecting people from harm. In Warwickshire, we care passionately about victims of crime, and together with our many partners, we will continue to work hard to bring more offenders to justice. Community Policing is at the very core of our policing model, with our many Safer Neighbourhood Teams working closely with all communities in an effort to respond to their needs and keep them safe.

Trust and confidence in policing is an absolute priority for me. Policing in the United Kingdom operates with the consent of the public, and when we damage the trust and confidence that the public have in us, the work of my officers and staff becomes much harder. We know we don’t always get it right, but we will work hard to learn from mistakes when they are made and we will be relentless in our pursuit to continually improve what we do and how we do it.

Over the coming days and weeks, I will be out and about across the county. I will be listening to what my officers and staff have to say, but equally importantly I will be listening to what you have to say about how we can improve the service we provide on your behalf.

Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith