The Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel has approved the appointment of Neil Rhodes as Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
Neil Rhodes applied for the position in October, the only application for the Chief Constable position, with support from Lincolnshire PCC Alan Hardwick.
It was then up to the Crime Panel to approve the appointment on December 6.
Mr Rhodes initially joined Lincolnshire Police as a constable in 1986 and left in 2001 on promotion to Humberside and Cumbria.
He returned to the force in 2008 as Deputy Chief Constable, and was recently in the role of temporary Chief Constable.
He said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been appointed as Chief. After five years away in Humberside and Cumbria, being appointed Deputy Chief Constable here in Lincolnshire in 2008 was like coming home for me.
“The Chief’s job really is the icing on the cake and I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my career making Lincolnshire Police and the service we deliver the very best I possibly can.”
“The officers and staff are really delivering for us with continuing reductions in crime – whilst other areas of the country struggle; and there is an improving picture in terms of detecting and resolving crime.
“I take my hat off to everyone when you consider all this is being done with 10% fewer officers than we had two years ago.”
Neil Rhodes also discussed that he wanted residents to feel safe generally, in their own homes and while they go about their daily life.
“We’ve got to give them confidence that this county is safe and well policed. Despite success in reducing crime there is a rising demand in calls for assistance and continuing austerity will bring its own challenges.
“We need to give our communities that confidence that we will be there when they need us.”
Discussing financial issues, Chief Constable Rhodes added that the force had balanced its books for the next two years.
He said: “I’m confident that we can sustain 1,100 officers and 149 PCSOs – and we’ve done that in probably the toughest circumstances in the country.
“Working closely with the Commissioner we now need to make sure we get a fair deal for Lincolnshire from the Government in the years ahead.
“When you compare us to almost all other forces we beat them hands down in terms of quality of service delivered at very low-cost.
“We want to share those lessons and ensure we retain a sensible level of funding that means we can sustain and improve policing here.”
He concluded: “…the most important thing for me is all of this needs to be underpinned by a rock-solid commitment to neighbourhood policing from a family force that is firmly rooted in its community.”
Great optimism
Lincolnshire PCC Alan Hardwick said on December 9 that he was pleased with the appointment of Neil Rhodes.
The PCC said: “With Neil Rhodes appointed I am looking forward to the future with great optimism.
“We share the same visions for Lincolnshire; reducing crime, police and services that are there when you need them, and a fair deal for the people of Lincolnshire.
“Neil’s considerable experience of Lincolnshire’s communities and the issues they face will mean that together, we can continue to keep the county one of the safest in which to live.
“Crime continues to fall, and we can build on initiatives covering everything from volunteers to victims and policing to partnerships, to further demonstrate that this force continues to punch well above its weight.
“I would like to take this opportunity, also, to thank the Police and Crime Panel for their endorsement of my decision to appoint our new Chief Constable.
“The panel is an important component in the success of our policing strategy.”
See a continuation of the PCC’s comment on the new Chief Constable appointment:
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A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 46-year-old man was fatally injured in Lincoln.
Emergency services were called to a flat on Carr Street in Lincoln, off Carholme Road, at 12.18am on Sunday, July 25.
There they found the victim with a serious head injury. He was taken to hospital for treatment but could not be saved.
Another man, aged 22, from Lincoln, was arrested on suspicion of murder. He remains in police custody for questioning.
A police cordon is in place at the property this morning and officers remain on scene while enquiries continue.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Myszczyszyn, of East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), said:
“I know this is a concerning incident and people living in this area of Lincoln, or indeed anyone further afield, may well feel worried about what has happened.
“We are working through the exact details of the circumstances to establish what’s happened and have a number of officers dedicated to the investigation.
“We are working closely with the family of the man who has lost his life and doing our best to support them.
“I can confirm that we’re not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident and this morning we continue to question a man who has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
“I would like to appeal for information from the public. Were you in the St Mary’s Road area of Lincoln around 10pm last night and saw a disturbance between a man or a woman?
“Or did you see anything that looked suspicious in that area/the Carr Street area, or have any dashcam footage? If so, please get in touch with us because that information could prove vital.”
If you have any information that could be useful, contact police via one of the following ways:
Call 101, quoting Incident 12 of 25th July;
Email [email protected] putting “Incident 12 of 25th July” in the Subject line;
A man has been arrested in connection with a sexual assault that took place on Tritton Road in Lincoln near the Co-op funeral home last week.
The 30-year-old man from Lincoln was arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual assault, Lincolnshire Police said on Saturday, July 24.
He has been interviewed and bailed without charges, pending further enquiries.
The victim was assaulted at around 10.20pm on Saturday, July 17.
Lincolnshire Police said: “Our investigation is ongoing into this incident and if you have any information and have not yet spoken to us we would urge you to get in touch.”
If you’ve been the victim of crime, support is available, whether you have reported the crime to the police or not. Victim Lincs provide free, confidential advice and guidance, as well as access to specialist emotional support services. Visit victimlincs.co.uk or call 01522 947510 Monday – Friday 8am – 4pm.
Two men have died after a van crashed with a lorry on the A17 near Boston on Friday afternoon.
It happened shortly after midday on July 23, on the A17 between Bicker Bar and Wigtoft. The collision involved an HGV and a van.
A 46-year-old man and a 31-year-old man travelling in the van were pronounced dead at the scene, despite efforts from emergency services. Their families have been informed.
The driver of the HGV suffered minor injuries.
The road has been closed in both directions and will remain closed until at least 10pm on July 23, while officers carry out an initial investigation and recover the vehicles.
Lincolnshire Police are appealing for anyone who was in the area and may have witnessed the collision to contact officers as soon as possible.
Officers are particularly keen to see any dashcam footage which might have captured the vehicles prior to the collision, or the collision itself.
Detective Sergeant James Kirk from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “This is a devastating incident for all involved and our thoughts are with the families of both men at this time.
“We are in the very early stages of our investigation, and we would be very grateful for any assistance that the public can offer us in piecing together what happened.
“Any information, no matter how small you think it might be, will be a great help.
“We would be keen to see any relevant dashcam footage or speak to anyone who witnessed the collision.”
If you think you can help with the investigations please contact police in the following ways:
By clicking on the email link [email protected] with incident 212 of July 23 in the subject
Via our non-emergency number 101, quoting incident 212 of July 23
Through the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org
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