Warwickshire PCC extends chief constable’s contract for two years

Mr Jelley was appointed to the post in April 2015, joining Warwickshire Police from neighbouring Northamptonshire Police. Since then, he has led the force through some of the most significant changes in its history, following the enforced termination of the strategic alliance with West Mercia Police.

His contract was due to end in March but has now been extended for a further two years.

Mr Seccombe said: “Martin is an excellent chief constable and has demonstrated unparalleled leadership for the force through what has been a significant period of change. He has done so with the respect of those he commands as well as the many partner organisations we have in the county. It is therefore fantastic news for Warwickshire to be in a position to retain his leadership, professionalism and skills for the next couple of years.

“I was delighted to be able to offer him an extended contract and even more delighted to have his acceptance. It bodes well for the future of Warwickshire Police as it transitions to a new and exciting chapter in its long history.”

Mr Jelley added: “I am extremely proud of Warwickshire Police and our outstanding and dedicated workforce. We are on a significant journey as part of our Evolve change programme, re-establishing services within Warwickshire and building new collaborative partnerships. There is still much to do as part of this and I feel the stability of consistent leadership will be in the best interests of the force at this time.

“I am therefore delighted and extremely proud to have the opportunity to continue in my role as chief constable.”

Mr Jelley began his policing career at with Norfolk Constabulary in 1988, serving in variety of operational and CID roles. This included a secondment to the Foreign Office in 2003 and working in Malawi to help set up its police service’s intelligence and crime management systems.

Upon promotion, he joined Suffolk Constabulary where he served in a variety of senior roles before joining Northamptonshire Police in October 2009, initially as assistant chief constable and from February 2013 as deputy chief constable, leading the force’s ‘Aspire’ programme, which transformed policing services within tight financial restrictions.

He became the chief constable of Warwickshire Police in April 2015, leading initially within the Strategic Alliance with West Mercia and, more latterly, on the transition and the rebuild of the force as it re-establishes itself post-alliance.

He has been the national policing lead for vetting since 2010 and in 2015 became the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for professional standards and ethics. As the national portfolio holder for police vetting, he has overseen the introduction of biometric vetting nationally and the development of a new College of Policing professional vetting code of practice, which was launched in early 2017.

He was awarded the Queen’s Policing Medal in the 2016 New Year Honours and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Birmingham in 2019. He is a Trustee of the British Police Symphony Orchestra.