Police chief misconduct probe: Sudden departure ‘challenging’
‘UNSETTLING’: Jonathan Evison talking to The Hull Story. Pictures by Tom Arran
EXCLUSIVE by Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison has admitted the sudden departure of Chief Constable Paul Anderson amid allegations of misconduct has been “challenging”.
Mr Anderson announced his retirement on June 25, less than a year after taking command. The following day, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed he was being investigated over alleged misconduct.
The same day, Mr Evison revealed the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner had received “details of potential misconduct” relating to Mr Anderson on June 12, and had referred the matter to the IOPC on June 24.
It was announced on July 1 that retired officer Judi Heaton had been appointed as temporary Chief Constable for up to six months, to allow for the recruitment of a new permanent chief.
Speaking exclusively to The Hull Story, Mr Evison said: “Clearly this is not something you have to deal with every day and, as such, it’s challenging ensuring matters are dealt with promptly, robustly, and in line with police regulations.
“Balancing managing the situation decisively with ensuring the performance of the force can be maintained was always my priority.
“It’s not for me to comment on the nature of the allegations, now that they’re subject of independent investigation. I don’t want to compromise that investigation, as there could be more whistleblowers coming forward, and we want to make that as easy as possible for them, if there are.
“The IOPC has confirmed the allegations ‘largely relate to communication and behaviour towards colleagues’.
UNDER INVESTIGATION: Former Chief Constable Paul Anderson
“The terms which were agreed for Paul Anderson to retire shall remain private until such a time that the investigation has concluded.
“I can confirm his last working day was July 1, by which point he had completed 34 years of service. Under the terms of his police pension, he could have retired at 30 years’ service.
“The investigation will continue, notwithstanding he’s now retired.”
Asked how disruptive the issue has been for the force, and the impact it has had on morale, Mr Evison said: “Whilst I don’t underestimate the importance of the Chief Constable to the force, we managed to deal with it in such a way that it’s not been left without Chief Constable leadership at any time.
“Temporary Chief Constable Judi Heaton commenced employment as Paul Anderson retired. Performance of the force remains in an excellent position, and we’ll only truly see if there’s been an impact – either positively or negatively – over time.
“The issue of morale may be better directed to someone operationally in touch with the force; however, as part of our arrangements for scrutiny and holding to account, it’s certainly an area we’ve been probing.
“The overall view is that, whilst this may have been surprise regarding the timing of the retirement announcement and then the misconduct allegations, people first and foremost know their duty to the public and continue to operate as business as usual.
“We’re supporting the temporary Chief Constable to ensure the force is managed as normal during what may be an unsettling time.”
On the appointment of Judi Heaton, Mr Evison said: “Once we knew Paul Anderson was to retire, our immediate focus was on stabilising the leadership of the force. I didn’t want a situation that saw the leadership resource eroded for any time period.
“It was important to source someone who was able to start immediately, and was ultimately the best fit for the force and its current needs.
“We worked with HMICFRS (His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) to help us identify someone quickly and effectively. Judi knows the force and is local to our force area, so within minutes of making the call to her, we were able to welcome her to the office and commence negotiations.
“Without a doubt, we’ve seen immediately that, having worked previously for the force and being a member of the community, she’s able to hit the ground running, as her understanding of the place is exactly what we need.
“Her leadership style was the fit we were looking for in securing a temporary Chief Constable, in that she’s collaborative yet decisive.
“Her policing career includes time working in Professional Standards, which was also beneficial in being someone who understands the requirement to set the values and standards for the force.”
The process for appointing a new permanent Chief Constable has now begun.
A ‘familiarisation day’ has been scheduled for July 26 for any potential candidates to visit and find out more about the force.
RECRUITING: Jonathan Evison has begun the search for a new permanent Chief Constable
Mr Evison said he has assembled an expert panel to assist him with the decision-making process and candidates will also meet a stakeholder panel consisting of representatives from across the public, private and charitable sectors.
An assessment day has been planned for August 21, with the aim of having a preferred candidate by September.
Mr Evison said: “We want the best Chief Constable to lead the force.
“We’ll be looking for someone with values that align to ours, as well as strong alignment with the Code of Ethics.
“We’re seeking a leader able to continue to drive excellence in performance, and ensure the force realises its maximum potential.
“Whilst performance is consistently good, there’s the ongoing challenge of ensuring the communities we serve truly feel the benefit of a high performing force.
“Our new leader should come ready to build further the trust of the community in the police, putting the community at the heart of policing, to ensure legitimacy.”
Humberside Police is currently ranked the best force in the country.
‘BUSINESS AS USUAL’: Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison believes the force is in a good place
Following its last PEEL (Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy) inspection, HMICFRS graded Humberside as “outstanding” in six out of nine categories in a report released in November 2022.
It is the highest number of “outstanding” grades of any of the 43 police forces in England and Wales.
The latest six-month inspection has now concluded, with the force awaiting the outcome.
Mr Evison, who was re-elected as Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner for a second term in May, said: “I’ve every confidence in the performance of the force, and expect the inspection outcomes to demonstrate to the public that we remain a high performing force.
“There are always areas a force can improve upon and Humberside, as good as it is, has never embraced complacency.
“I continue to ask more of the force, in line with the expectations of our communities. We also have to adapt to emerging crime demands, support victims in different ways to meet their needs, and work with our partners to reduce the risk of crime occurring in the first place.”
Mr Evison acknowledged Mr Anderson’s sudden retirement and the subsequent investigation launch would be a cause for concern for many, but insisted the force remains in a strong position.
“Humberside Police is an outstanding police force with dedicated, professional staff and officers, who strive to achieve the best for their communities,” he said.
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“Whilst the events surrounding Paul Anderson’s retirement no doubt could cause concern, I’ve managed to secure outstanding interim leadership in a timely manner, and the force remains focused on providing excellent policing.
“I’ve every confidence in temporary Chief Constable Judi Heaton not just in caretaking our force over this time, but continuing to stretch our ambition and delivery further.”