Nottinghamshire Police's next Chief Constable, who began her policing career working in Hucknall and the surrounding areas, has vowed to build on positive work to promote public confidence and teamwork.

Kate Meynell made the pledge whilst being questioned by a special Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Panel hearing yesterday, before being officially and unanimously confirmed in the role.

Kate, the current Deputy Chief Constable at Derbyshire Constabulary, is now set to return to work at the force where she began and spent most of her career.

"What is really important is making sure communities feel safe and listened to," she said.

"I want to make sure we have a service that is fit for the future, where we use data effectively and are evidence-led in the way we do our work.

"Also, I want a workforce that is engaged and empowered because it is the workforce that will deliver what we are looking for. I very much believe in being a team.

"It is really important if we are to be successful as an organisation that the public have trust and confidence and we are seen to be legitimate.

"It is about putting the public first, working as a team with really clear standards so everyone is clear what Nottinghamshire Police is about."

The appointment follows recommendations received by the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Panel, following a special confirmation hearing held at County Hall yesterday.

Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry named Kate Meynell as her preferred candidate for the role in August following a rigorous assessment and interview process.

She will take the helm from current Chief Constable Craig Guildford in December, after he departs to take up the top job at West Midlands Police.

Kate added: "I'm looking forward to coming back to Nottinghamshire. I grew up in Nottinghamshire and it's a place I'm proud to call home.

"I have enjoyed my time working in Derbyshire alongside some great colleagues, but this is a dream job for me.

"Nottinghamshire Police has a positive, strong workforce and I do feel we have the opportunity now to continue the improvements that Craig Guildford has started. The force has moved a long way forward under his leadership.

"I genuinely care passionately about the force and want to build on the good work that has been done and build relationships with external partners and communities."

Commissioner Henry said she was delighted that her recommended candidate had now been confirmed.

"Kate is an outstanding leader and I am looking forward to working closely with her," she said.

"Craig Guildford has been an excellent Chief Constable over the last five years at Nottinghamshire Police, during which crime has fallen, officer numbers have reached their highest in over a decade and neighbourhood policing has expanded.

"I'm delighted that the panel agreed that Kate has all the qualities to succeed in this role. I believe Kate is the right person to take this work forward as we continue to Make Notts Safe."

Kate spent most of her career serving with Nottinghamshire Police, including a two-and-a-half-year spell as Assistant Chief Constable when she led the force's knife crime strategy and chaired the county strategic response to the Covid pandemic.

She is also the chair of the National Homicide Working Group, which looks into ways to improve the quality of investigations into homicide, including working on a national homicide reduction strategy.

Kate joined Nottinghamshire Police in 1993, where she was posted to Bulwell. For the first few years she worked across Bulwell, Hucknall and Eastwood in uniform roles before joining CID, undertaking investigation roles in Child Abuse Investigation Unit, Divisional CID and Homicide Team.

Progressing through the ranks in both uniformed and detective roles, in 2011 she was part of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU): Major Crime Unit before becoming head of the unit in 2015, overseeing major crime investigations across the East Midlands.

Kate has performed the role of SIO (Senior Investigating Officer) on a number of homicide investigations, including the investigation into a fatal house fire, where the six Philpott children were killed, resulting in the conviction of both their parents and a family friend of their manslaughter.

In 2017, Kate transferred to Northamptonshire Police to the role of Chief Superintendent, Head of Crime. While there she was responsible for CID, Public Protection, Intelligence and Serious and Organised Crime.

In 2018 she returned to Nottinghamshire Police as Assistant Chief Constable, leading the force's knife crime strategy, before leaving to become Deputy Chief Constable at Derbyshire Constabulary in January 2021.