Former officer vows to hold force to account as PCC

Gary Godden says his experience gives a "real insight" into Nottinghamshire Police

A recently-elected police and crime commissioner (PCC) who spent 15 years working as an officer believes his experience will help him to hold his old force to account.

Gary Godden became Nottinghamshire's PCC in May, several years after retiring from a front-line police career in 2015.

His new role requires him to hold Nottinghamshire Police's chief constable to account, oversee crime prevention and set policing priorities.

In an interview just over 100 days after he was sworn in, Mr Godden denied his experience made him too close to the force, or a "poacher turned gamekeeper".

"Me being a police officer gives me a real insight not only into the force, but also the struggles and strife that some of our communities face," he said.

"It's really important that I have an understanding of that."

Mr Godden spent the first seven years of his life in children's homes in Shropshire run by the Barnardo's children's charity before being adopted by his social worker - an experience he said inspired him to become a police officer.

Mr Godden worked for Nottinghamshire Police for 15 years

"I felt that I was valued," he said.

"I felt that I was having a proper education. That I was being fed correctly.

"The basic things that you need to be a productive person in society.

"Some of those building blocks are sometimes missed out."

During his policing career, Mr Godden spent time working on a multi-agency team called Vanguard Plus, which he said helped offenders and their families to try to divert them away from gang crime.

"It's challenging but also very, very rewarding, and some of the thoughts that people have of these individuals, it changes your perspective," he said.

Mr Godden said his priority as PCC would be to improve neighbourhood policing, so local teams resolve issues and keep people safe within their communities - an approach inspired by his own personal story.

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