“I arrived at a time of momentous change that affected policing."

For the second instalment of this series we spoke to Martin Hewitt CBE QPM, who took over the role as NPCC Chair in 2019, at a time when there were significant challenges on the horizon for UK policing.

What were the biggest challenges in your time at the NPCC?

I arrived at a time of momentous changes that affected policing - working through the transition of leaving the European Union, leading the service response to the COVID19 pandemic, nation-wide protests including Black Lives Matter and environmental causes, and responding to the issues surrounding the horrific murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of a serving police officer.

How did policing and the NPCC change over your tenure?

Policing continually changes, but the recruitment of the additional 30k officers through the Uplift programme was probably the biggest transformation. The NPCC itself grew and developed and the Strategic Hub came into existence which gave us a more co-ordinated and stronger voice. And, of course, maintaining good ministerial relationships at a time of great political movement; I worked with three Home Secretaries and five different Policing Ministers during my time.

Is there a standout moment from your time at NPCC?

Giving a COVID19 briefing at the podium at Number 10 was certainly a standout moment.

How should the NPCC and policing change in the next 10 years?

There is a massive change programme in train at the moment that I keep an eye on from my new position in the Home Office. Making sure that the service stays connected with its many communities, whilst dealing with the 21st century challenges to public safety, is both the challenge and the prize. I think that needs a different workforce mix and also a continued protection of the service's operational independence.