Northumbria Police’s new chief constable promises to engage with North East communities

It was announced in December last year that Vanessa Jardine would be Northumbria Police’s new chief constable, replacing Winton Keenen.

Having left her role as deputy chief constable at West Midlands Police, Ms Jardine started the top job at Northumbria Police earlier this month.

Speaking to the media for the first time on Thursday, April 27, the new top cop promised that she would be seen engaging with the local community to understand what issues matter most to them.

Ch Cons Jardine also stated that the project will see officers out making arrests and executing warrants across the Northumbria area.

She said: “We’re going to start a force-wide operation in June that will see myself and colleagues right across the organisation going through communities in both urban and rural areas.

“I want the communities of Northumbria to feel the impact of having a new chief constable and we are going to have a very deliberate program right throughout the summer.

“It is not just about the traditional things that you’d expect, such as warrants and arrests, but it is also a great opportunity to go out into the community and understand the issues that are affecting them.

“The local communities can talk to me and tell me how it feels for them to live and work in this area so I can make sure that all the things that we are doing are addressing those needs.”

Before working for West Midlands Police, Ms Jardine served as a detective at every rank and was the head of public protection at Greater Manchester Police.

The new chief constable highlighted to journalists that she wants to bring her experience of working in two big police forces in the past to the North East of England.

She added: “I spent six months with Northumbria Police in 2016 and 2017 as a temporary assistant chief constable so when the opportunity came up to apply for this, there was two main things behind the decision.

“The wonderful people of the North East made me feel very welcome last time, but Northumbria Police is a fantastic police force, it does some great things.

“I just saw an opportunity to try and take it to a different level, I don’t think there is any reason why Northumbria Police shouldn’t be recognised as one of the most outstanding police forces in the UK within two or three years time.

“It was that opportunity and that challenge which brought me back here to work again with friends and colleagues in the North East.”

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