Former West Midlands Police chief to be reappointed after 31 days in retirement - here's why
The former Chief Constable of West Midlands Police stepped down from his role to spend time in retirement - but will be reappointed after 31 days.
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Craig Guildford has been approved to take back the title as police chief by the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel after leaving the post on November 15.
Mr Guildford temporarily left the role as part of a national 'Retire and Re-join' scheme in a bid to protect his pension from diminishing in value.
He will be reappointed as Chief Constable on December 16.
Mr Guildford said: “I’m pleased that the Police and Crime Commissioner and the region’s Police and Crime Panel have offered me their full support and allowed me to continue to serve as your Chief Constable in the West Midlands.
“My ambition is to see West Midlands Police continue to improve at the pace it has been.
“I remain fully committed to delivering sustained performance improvements and hugely value the work that our officers and staff undertake on a daily basis in serving the people of the West Midlands.”
Simon Foster, Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, said he was "pleased" to see Mr Guildford's reappointment be approved.
He said: “Since Mr Guildford’s appointment to West Midlands Police in 2022 he has ensured the force has improved in many areas.
“In particular, he has significantly improved the 999 and 101 performance so that the force is now one of the fastest in the country when it comes to answering the phone when people need help from the police.
“West Midlands Police, whilst under the leadership of Mr Guildford, together with partners, has driven down crime by 10 per cent in the last year.
“...Mr Guildford knows I expect this progress and hard work to be maintained and I look forward to continuing to work with him when he takes up the post of Chief Constable once more."
