March 22, 2012 3.18 pm This story is over 144 months old

Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable retires

Farewell: It’s Chief Constable Richard Crompton’s final day at Lincolnshire Police before Neil Rhodes takes his place at the helm.

Thursday marked Lincolnshire Police’s Chief Constable Richard Crompton last day in the top job before retiring.

He has been a part of Lincolnshire Police since August 2004, having previously worked at forces such as Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall.

Crompton is leaving for both personal and professional reasons, but not before paving the way for major changes in the way the force operates.

He has seen Lincolnshire Police through tough budget cuts, redundancies, and force restructuring throughout the East Midlands in recent years.

Crompton ran one of the biggest inquiries ever undertaken by Lincolnshire Police in the case of the Stirland murders in 2004 by an organised crime group from Nottinghamshire, which concluded with the successful prosecution of four men.

He also highlighted the Lincolnshire Police-led Operation Alpine, which scoured 45 countries to uncover more than a thousand suspected pedophiles and led to four men being jailed.

Last month the force signed a landmark 10-year £200 million outsourcing contract with G4S, meaning that around two-thirds — or 540 employees — of staff at Lincolnshire Police will be transferred to the private sector.

This would also help the force put almost 97% of its warranted officers in frontline roles and build a new custom police station in Nettleham.

Besides Lincolnshire, 10 other police authorities have expressed interest in the model, which could potentially save the UK’s forces £2 billion.

Richard Crompton will relocate to Devon later this year, and said he is intending to walk from Lincolnshire to Devon to raise money for charity.

Deputy Chief Constable takes over

Lincolnshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Neil Rhodes will take on the role of Chief Constable until a new Policing and Crime Commissioner is appointed in November.

Alec Wood, who left Lincolnshire Police in 2010 to work as Assistant Chief Constable in Derbyshire, will return as temporary Deputy Chief Constable.

Chief Supt Roger Bannister will replace Carl Langley as Assistant Chief Constable (Protective Services), while Assistant Chief Constable (Safer Neighbourhoods) Keith Smy will continue in his present role.

Chief Constable Neil Rhodes said: “With fewer officers and a tight budget the year ahead will be pretty challenging.

“My personal priority will be retaining officers on the beat and PCSOs in the heart of the community.

“In your area your local officers should be known to you, and it’s important you feel confident of a friendly ear and a prompt response when you need to speak to them.

“Lincolnshire is a very safe place to live, work and spend your leisure time. We need to keep crime low and our streets places we can all walk with confidence.”