Humberside Police Chief Constable retires after one year in role

Humberside Police's chief constable has announced his retirement less than a year after taking up the post.

Paul Anderson has been Humberside Police's Chief Constable since August 2023 and has had a career in policing spanning 34 years. He first joined the force as an assistant chief constable in 2019, and he was also the deputy chief constable before his appointment to the top job last summer.

Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Jonathan Evison has confirmed the search for a new chief constable has begun.

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Mr Anderson took over as chief constable from Lee Freeman, who had been in the role for six years and transferred to be His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

On his retirement, Paul Anderson said: "It has been a privilege to serve the communities of Hull, the East Riding, North and North East Lincolnshire. Humberside is an outstanding force made up of both officers and staff who are dedicated to making a difference to the communities they represent.

"It has been a difficult decision to make to retire from the force but it is the right time for me personally to make this announcement. It has and will always be my absolute honour to have served the public."

Humberside PCC Jonathan Evison said: "Paul Anderson has made a valuable contribution to the performance of Humberside Police since he joined the force and has overseen a recent inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which I believe will show the force continues to perform extremely well. Chief Constable Anderson deserves much credit for that and I thank him for his service to the public. I will now begin the process to appoint a new chief constable."

When Paul Anderson spoke to Hull Live shortly after being appointed as the force's chief constable, he discussed the most prevalent crimes the force had to deal with, assaults on police officers, and his aims for the force. He said he aimed for the police to knock on every door in Humberside to ask people what they thought the force got right and needed to be better at. He also vowed the force would not just be responsive to crimes, but take the fight against crime to those out there committing it.

At its last published inspection report in 2022, Humberside Police was rated outstanding by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).