The Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police could be set to leave his post after being named as the preferred candidate for the top job at West Midlands Police. Craig Guildford, who has been at the helm for the past five years, says he will be sad to leave the role but is "honoured" to be put forward for the Chief Constable position at the second largest force in England and Wales.
Under his leadership, Operation Reacher teams have been introduced to all 12 neighbourhood policing areas across the force. His achievements in Nottinghamshire have led to him being announced as the preferred candidate by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster after a "rigorous" selection process.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry says she wishes Mr Guildford all the best in his new job and that the search is now on for his replacement. She said: “Craig has done a fantastic job in Nottinghamshire and has really had a big impact,” she said. “It’s no surprise that my Midlands counterpart, PCC Simon Foster, is keen to secure his services and I sincerely wish Craig all the very best in the next step in his career.
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“Home Secretary Priti Patel was really interested in the work that has been going on here, when she spoke to Craig and I during her visit to the new state-of-the-art Joint Headquarters. During Craig’s time as Chief Constable at Nottinghamshire Police, he has overseen the introduction of Operation Reacher, which has really connected local policing with local people to work as one team to fight crime.
“He’s also put in place dedicated teams to tackle some of the key crime that impact communities most – burglary, robbery and knife crime – with each of the teams having great success helping reduce these crimes. He has also driven the force to reach its national Uplift target for officer recruitment a year early, meaning the force now has its highest number of officers in over a decade.
“I will be sad to see him go, but our search for the next talent to take up the mantle and continue the work to Make Notts Safe will now begin.” Chief Constable Guildford said it was an ‘honour’ to be put forward for the role, which is set to be confirmed at West Midlands Police and Crime Panel July 25.
He said: “Chief Constable of West Midlands Police is one of the top policing jobs in the country. It is an honour to be put forward for the role. Sir David Thompson has been an excellent Chief Constable and I wish him well. After five years as Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire, I shall be sad to leave a force which has some outstanding Police officers and staff, but I am very much looking forward to this new challenge.”
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