Northumbria Police chief announces retirement

Winton Keenen has worked for Northumbria Police for 38 years, serving the last four as chief constable

The chief constable of Northumbria Police has announced his retirement.

Winton Keenen has worked for the force for 38 years and will stand down in March 2023.

His departure follows a report by the inspectorate of constabularies which said the force was good in most areas but requires improvement in answering 999 calls.

Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness said it had been a "privilege" to work with Mr Keenen.

Mr Keenen, who was appointed chief constable in 2018, said: "It has been my absolute privilege to serve as the chief constable of Northumbria Police and to have worked alongside so many dedicated and selfless people, who consistently make the lives of others far better than they would otherwise be.

"This amazing region of ours is such a fantastic place to live, work and visit and I feel it is now the right time to hand over to someone who can bring fresh ideas to help make it even better."

'Positive path'

The latest report from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) published in September said the force was good at investigating and preventing crime, protecting vulnerable people and managing offenders.

But it requires improvement in responding to the public with only 73% of 999 calls answered within 10 seconds against national guidelines of 90%.

The recruitment process for the new chief constable will be led by Ms McGuinness.

She said: "It's been a real privilege to work alongside such a respected and experienced officer and particularly someone who shares a passion for our region and its people.

"He signs off as chief leaving Northumbria on a positive path, for which I am grateful."