Nottinghamshire’s new Chief Constable says ‘it feels like coming home’
Nottinghamshire Police’s new Chief Constable Kate Meynell says “it feels like coming home” as she begins her new role with the Force.
CC Meynell became the new Chief Constable on Monday 12 December after Craig Guildford joined West Midlands Police in the same role.
She said: “It’s an absolute honor to be back in Nottinghamshire. It feels like coming home.
“I have spent most of my career at Notts and have lived most of my life in the county and I look forward to working with all of you.
“It’s important to acknowledge the progress the force has made over the past few years – there has been a decrease in serious violence, a decrease in occupational crime and a balanced budget.
“A lot of great work has been done by my predecessor and the organization and I will continue to build on that.
“But we cannot be satisfied because there is still a lot to do. I am committed to building on strong foundations to achieve my vision for the force to “provide outstanding service of which we can all be proud”.
“It is of paramount importance that we ensure the trust and confidence of the communities we serve and that the communities feel safe and heard.”
CC Meynell is from Nottingham and joined Nottinghamshire Police in 1993 where she was posted to Bulwell.
She also worked in uniform roles in Hucknall and Eastwood for the early years before joining CID and taking on investigative roles in the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, Divisional CID and the Homicide Team.
She then rose through the ranks in both uniformed and detective roles.
In 2011 she was part of the new Major Crime Investigations collaboration of the five East Midlands Armed Forces.
In 2015 she became Head of Major Crime for the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) and was responsible for overseeing major crime investigations across the region.
She has served as Senior Investigating Officer on a number of homicide investigations, including investigating a fatal house fire that killed the six Philpott children, leading to the conviction of her parents and a family friend for manslaughter.
She also investigated the murder of Kayleigh Haywood, who was killed after meeting a man who nursed her online among other high-profile cases.
In 2017 she moved to Northamptonshire Police to take on the role of Chief Superintendent, Head of Crime. There she was responsible for CID, Public Protection, Intelligence and Serious and Organized Crime.
She returned to Nottinghamshire Police in 2018 as Assistant Chief Constable, leading the force’s strategic response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She joined Derbyshire Police as Deputy Chief Constable on 11 January 2021.
She became the new Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police on Monday 12 December.
She added, “I am already planning an extensive program of meetings, both with colleagues internally within the force to build team spirit, and externally with partners and communities, and this program will expand over the course of my first two months.
“This will help me identify some of the challenges we face and then look at the opportunities that are before us.
“It’s really important that I listen to the community and partners before making future plans for the armed forces.
“I want the public to have full confidence in the police when they call to report a crime or a problem in their community. It is also paramount that people feel safe where they live, work and socialise.
“I look forward to delivering for the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Parish.”
• Ambulance strikes: Pickets in Wilford on the first day of the ambulance strike
