Salary of £195k on offer for new chief constable

An advertised salary of £195,000, plus benefits, is being offered to whoever becomes the new chief constable at Gloucestershire Police.

Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Chris Nelson, said he would welcome applicants with "wider experience" outside the force who can bring about faster change.

Nelson added he would like the successful candidate to have "vision", "a bit of charisma" and be able to deliver a higher performance by officers and staff.

Former chief constable Rod Hansen left the force in July after his contract expired. He is currently under investigation for gross misconduct, which he denies.

Interviews for the position will take place over two days in October, and members of the public have been invited to submit questions through the PCC' s Facebook page.

Nelson said the successful applicant to the £195,000 a year role – which he described as "quite a chunk of change" – will be announced in November.

He wants the new chief to increase "productivity and performance".

"The force is going in the right direction but it's not moving, it's not improving fast enough. We need to pick up the pace, pick up the speed," he added.

Gloucestershire Police is due to be merged with one or more other forces under upcoming government plans.

Despite the changes, and recent turbulence at the top of the organisation, Nelson believes the role is an attractive one.

"I'm hopeful that a number of people will apply," he added.

"I'm a great believer in having other force experience because I think someone who's always been in a force, particularly a small force, will look at things in a certain way, and I think experience in a larger force gives you a different perspective."

Hansen was suspended from the force in October 2024 on full pay over allegations of gross misconduct.

He is accused of failing to appropriately handle reports of a data breach.

His misconduct hearing was due to take place in July, but was postponed until December at the earliest.

Maggie Blyth took over as temporary chief constable almost two years ago.

She announced her retirement from policing over the summer but will remain in post until a replacement is found.

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