New Chief Constable confirmed

The Humberside Police and Crime Panel have today confirmed the appointment of Lee Freeman as Chief Constable of Humberside Police following a hearing held last Thursday.

Mr Freeman was announced on 30th May as the preferred candidate for Chief Constable by Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter following a selection process, and has been in temporary charge of the Force since that date.

Keith Hunter said: “I am delighted that the Police and Crime Panel have approved my selection of Lee Freeman as the new Chief Constable of Humberside Police and his appointment will take effect immediately. I firmly believe Lee offers real hope for the future and is the right person to lead the Force as it faces the challenges ahead. Lee is a native of the Humber area and shares my ambition for both our communities and the police Force that serves them.

“Humberside Police has faced significant scrutiny of its performance over recent years and the effects of that on both the public, officers and staff have been well publicised. Throughout this challenging period everyone in the Force has worked hard to deliver a decent service to the public of Northern Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire. Some problematic legacy issues do remain though, and they will require further time to address in a manner that will pave the way for sustainable improvement into the future.

“Lee has shown an understanding of the issues and has the skills, experience, drive and attitude to lead the Force on the journey it must make. His desire to engage the workforce and the public in that endeavour shine through in his words and actions. He shares my desire to see locally-based community policing as the core of our police service and not an optional add-on, and he has emphasised his commitment to focussing resources properly on ensuring communities get real value for money in delivering a visible and engaged service whilst protecting the vulnerable.  

“I congratulate Lee on the great achievement of becoming Chief Constable of his home Force and look forward to congratulating him further on his achievements in that office in the times ahead.”

Chief Constable Freeman said: “I am really happy to have had my appointment confirmed today by the Humberside Police and Crime Panel, having their support is extremely important to me and I look forward to working with them in the future. 

“I have spent the last three weeks as Temporary Chief listening to our excellent workforce who are all committed to giving the public the best service. My priority now is to get on with the job in hand supporting my staff, engaging with our partners in community safety and working with the Police and Crime Commissioner to deliver the best possible service to the communities of East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire”