Former policing minister announced as new chair of College of Policing

Lord Herbert will lead the college’s board, which has representatives from across policing.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, on announcing the appointment of Lord Herbert – who previously served as Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice – said: “I welcome Nick as the new chair of the College of Policing – he will bring with him a wealth of experience and knowledge of policing and the criminal justice system.

“The College of Policing plays a vital role in delivering the training that makes our police force the best in the world, and is playing a crucial role in the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers.”

Lord Herbert said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to chair the college and very much look forward to working with the police service again. I drove the formation of the college nearly a decade ago because l believe it has a vital role to play in promoting leadership, setting standards and supporting the drive to reduce crime.

“I think it’s timely to begin with a fundamental review of the college, its effectiveness and place in the policing landscape. I want to ensure that the college fulfils its mission and is highly valued by every section of policing, from officers on the front line to chief constables and police and crime commissioners.

“This is a demanding time for policing but also an exciting one as we recruit 20,000 new officers. With new forms of crime and the advance of technology, it has never been more important to ensure that we have a well led, highly trained and skilled service.

“A priority will be to recruit a new chief executive officer, and I would like to thank Mike Cunningham for everything he has done to build the college and lead it through the challenging period of Covid-19.

Deputy Chief Constable Bernie O’Reilly, the College of Policing’s interim chief executive officer, said: “I’m really pleased to welcome Nick to the role. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the college, which will greatly benefit policing. We have an ambitious agenda aimed at supporting policing and I look forward to working closely with Nick to develop this further.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council chair Martin Hewitt said: “This appointment comes at an important time both for policing and for the college. Police officers are front and centre of the national response to coronavirus which means their professionalism and the standards they work to are firmly in the public eye.

“I look forward to working with Nick to ensure the college continues to develop its offer, building the evidence base for what works in policing and helping officers continue their professional development.”

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) welcomed the appointment of Lord Herbert, who was one of the architects of the role of police and crime commissioner.

APCC chair Paddy Tipping, said: “The College of Policing has a key role to play in the policing landscape and it’s good to see someone of the calibre of Lord Herbert appointed as chair. I’ve worked closely with him on a number of occasions over many years and can’t think of a better appointment.

“We note that Lord Herbert has announced his intention to launch a fundamental review of the college. We look forward to contributing to that review and further strengthening the important role of the college in standard setting and leadership development for the police service.”