Very often celebrities command the most attention when the Queen’s Birthday Honours’ list is published. So it was with enormous pleasure and pride that I was able to congratulate the Chief Constable after Her Majesty awarded him the Queen’s Police Medal in recognition of his distinguished policing career that now spans 31 years.
Rod Hansen has been a truly transformative leader and thoroughly deserves this recognition from the Head of State.
When I appointed him as Gloucestershire’s Chief Constable, the Force was experiencing considerable change trying to manage greater demand with a smaller workforce. These factors combined affected morale, wellbeing, and motivation of those serving at the time.
Rod not only steadied the ship, but sailed it skilfully into calmer waters. Thanks to his leadership, Gloucestershire has outperformed every other force nationally in a number of areas.
He leads from the front and shows by example what a supportive leader really is, which includes making time in his very busy diary to make personal contact with every injured member of staff to check on their welfare. His Supportive Leadership and Wellbeing Programme is now recognised nationally by the College of Policing as the best of its kind.
When I called for a more consistent level of service across the county, particularly in our more rural areas, Rod reinvigorated neighbourhood policing and reintroduced a Mounted Unit, demonstrating not only the strength of our working relationship, but his ability to respond effectively to public concerns. This is a Chief who rolls up his sleeves, gets the work done and is able to inspire others to do the same.
Under his leadership the Force has seen improvements across the board and this is reflected in a host of positive reports from the Inspectorate of Constabulary. On top of this are his national portfolios where he is the National Police Chiefs` Council lead for mounted sections and aviation. Furthermore,
Rod shares my commitment to the welfare of police dogs and horses and helped pioneer Gloucestershire’s compassionate approach to animal welfare. Equally, he champions the need to make the Constabulary as environmentally responsible as possible.
Outside the organisation, he has personally introduced a Children’s Leadership Programme for Gloucestershire so that our young people are able to practice self-leadership.
In summary, he has been a superb leader for the Force, and I take the greatest delight in addressing him now as Chief Constable Rod Hansen QPM.
