Police chief's misconduct notice dropped

A misconduct case against Gloucestershire Constabulary's suspended Chief Constable has been dropped.

An investigation was launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into Rod Hansen in 2025 over allegations he was inappropriately involved in the recruitment of a member of staff.

The IOPC has now determined Hansen has "no case to answer" in relation to this case. However, he still faces a separate gross misconduct hearing over an alleged data breach.

A spokesperson for the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association said: "From the outset of this investigation, Chief Constable Hansen has denied all wrongdoing."

"We are pleased the IOPC has reached this conclusion after thoroughly examining the details of the case," they added.

An IOPC spokesperson said there was insufficient evidence to progress the recruitment allegations to either a misconduct meeting or disciplinary hearing.

Hansen was initially suspended on full pay from the force in October 2024 over concerns about his handling of computer misuse and a potential data breach by another member of staff two years earlier.

This suspension was lifted to allow him to be redeployed to the National Police Chiefs' Council from January last year.

Hansen was later suspended again in May after he was given a second misconduct notice relating to accusations he inappropriately involved himself in the recruitment of a member of staff.

Hansen's legal representatives said they will ask Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Chris Nelson, to lift his suspension again as a result of the IOPC's latest decision.

PCC Nelson said Hansen remains suspended from the force.

The IOPC had sought the PCC's views on the matter prior to reaching their final decision.

PPC Nelson said: "I was of the view there were potentially further and outstanding lines of inquiry that could have been followed, so I indicated there was insufficient material to enable me to say whether I agreed, or disagreed, with their provisional opinion.

"I know the IOPC will have taken my views on board and, as is their right under the statutory provisions, went on to conclude there was no case to answer.

"As the independent body charged with conducting such investigations and reaching such conclusions I of course respect the final decision the IOPC has reached."

He added it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

A misconduct hearing relating to the data breach notice is set to take place in the coming months, although no date has been set.

Maggie Blyth was appointed as interim Chief Constable for the force in October 2024.

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