Eight chief constables under investigation as police leadership faces 'fundamental overhaul'

Eight former or serving chief constables are either under disciplinary action or awaiting a result, Lord Blunkett revealed on Monday as a landmark review called for a complete overhaul of police leadership. The disclosure, out of just 43 forces across England and Wales, came as the Police Leadership Commission warned that the system for identifying and developing leaders is too weak, with chief constable roles often attracting a single suitable candidate. Co-author Lord Blunkett told the BBC the service needed an “ethical reset”, pointing to the number of senior officers facing internal investigations. The independent report, chaired by former Labour home secretary Lord Blunkett and former Conservative policing minister Lord Herbert, was published on Monday after months of evidence gathering that included a survey of nearly 2,000 sergeants and inspectors, expert round-tables and more than 400 responses to an open call. It found low morale and motivation within the service, with officers feeling “demotivated” by negative and overly risk-averse leadership cultures, as well as scarcity of resources and excessive paperwork. The Commission also uncovered a postcode lottery system of promotion, with some officers raising concerns about nepotism and favouritism, and limited investment in leadership development. “I think at the moment, there are eight former or serving chief constables who are either under disciplinary action or awaiting the result,” Lord Blunkett said. “And that’s out of 43 forces.” The report recommends that central funding for police leadership development should be restored in line with other public services such as the NHS. It also calls for a new senior constable rank to reward experienced frontline officers who provide leadership and mentor colleagues, nationally accredited training for new constables, and a new sergeant qualification to replace an “outdated” one. Policing minister Sarah Jones said the recommendations would shape the government’s “programme of police reform to strengthen leadership, raise standards and restore confidence in policing”. The Commission found both “outstanding examples of those who have transformed delivery to the public” and “extraordinarily worrying evidence requiring profound change”, Lord Blunkett said. The question now is whether the government acts swiftly enough to restore trust in a service where almost a third of frontline officers have less than five years’ experience.