Chief constable commits to three more years in Bedfordshire after temporarily retiring

Trevor Rodenhurst will return to his post on November 4 following a confirmation hearing held last night by the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel (Tuesday, October 22).

The police and crime commissioner (PCC), John Tizard, told the panel: “Any police officer having served 30 years is entitled to take a short retirement break before being reappointed.”

The panel’s chair, Paul Downing, said he had a question from a panel member who wasn’t attending the meeting.

“You never say never, but this would be a three-year contract, and would you stay at Bedford [sic] [and have] no intentions of jumping on a train down to London town or up to West Midlands,” Mr Downing asked.

Mr Rodenhurst said: “I live in the county, my children go to school in the county, I’ve invested a lot of time in relationships in this county.

“I made a commitment, not just in here [the council chamber], but to our staff, and this is a great job.

“So I’ve got no plans to do that at this time,” he said.

Mr Downing asked if Mr Rodenhurst has had to manage disappointments within the senior command team as he is returning to the role.

“You’re not bed blocking because you are going to be the head of the organisation,” he said.

“But opportunities may not present themselves as quickly to some superintendent, chief superintendents, as they might have been because you are staying on,” he said.

Mr Rodenhurst said the senior officers are “real talent for the future”.

“I’ve had a huge number of messages from staff being pleased that I’m looking to stay,” he said.

“Clearly anyone who is not pleased might choose not to tell me.

“The only bed I’m blocking really is the deputy so to speak because the ACCs [assistant chief constables] are fairly new.

“Dan’s a hugely talented senior policing leader and will be a chief constable one day whether it’s here or somewhere else, so no issues there,” he said.