Vanessa Jardine is to be reappointed as the Chief Constable of Northumbria Police following a short break from the position.
The move has been approved by the Police and Crime Commissioner with the agreement of the Police and Crime Panel who met today (Tuesday 14 October) and put a range of questions to the Chief Constable ahead of ratifying her reappointment.
This now means Vanessa Jardine will retire as Chief Constable as of tomorrow (Wednesday 15 October) and will rejoin on Wednesday 22 October under the national Retire and Rejoin Scheme.
The scheme is open to officers of all ranks and is used across a range of professions up and down the country. The scheme is designed to retain skills, knowledge and experience within the police service by removing the financial disincentive that some officers may face once they reach 30 years’ service. It does not create any additional costs to the taxpayer.
The scheme is in accordance with updated guidance from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) and the College of Policing.
Under legislation, Deputy Chief Constable Jayne Meir will be Temporary Chief Constable and Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson becoming Temporary Deputy Chief Constable during this short period.
Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth recommended the re-appointment of Vanessa Jardine. Afterwards she said: “Vanessa’s reappointment is in the best interests of not only Northumbria Police but of our communities too – and I am pleased today her rejoining was unanimously supported by the Panel.
“There is nothing unusual about this scheme, in fact it’s been widely used by Chief Constables up and down the country. It’s allowing us to retain the services of a proven leader of high calibre and experience.
“Under her leadership we have seen significant response time improvements and reductions in total crime figures – these are things residents will be keen for her to build on. She can now continue to put her vision for the Force into action, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside her to deliver on the priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan for safer streets and stronger communities.”
Chief Constable Jardine said: “It has been a real privilege to have been Northumbria’s Chief Constable for the last two-and-a-half years and I’m immensely proud of the Force and the people I work alongside.
“I now have more than 31 years of service, but I want to continue and provide that leadership continuity to deliver outstanding services to the people of the Northumbria area.”
ENDS
