Cambridgeshire chief constable to resign and be re-hired a month later
He will temporarily leave the force
Last updated 22 hours ago
Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s chief constable Simon Megicks will resign from his role in September but will be re-hired one month later.
Mr Megicks, who took over as chief constable in September 2025, recently asked the county’s police and crime commissioner Darryl Preston if he could participate in a Retire and Re-join Scheme.
According to a police and crime panel document, the scheme allows for any police officer, including a chief constable, to formally resign as an officer before being re-appointed into the same rank.
Participation in the scheme does not create any additional cost to the taxpayer and is designed to encourage chief officers, who would otherwise retire, to stay longer in post.
In his letter to the crime commissioner, Mr Megicks said: “This decision has been made to facilitate my retirement from the police service, in accordance with the applicable pension arrangements and regulations governing service length and eligibility.
“Subject to your agreement and the completion of the appropriate process, it is my intention to make myself available for reappointment to the role of chief constable following my retirement, and would be keen to have the minimal amount of time away from the role.
“This is to support continuity of leadership and ongoing delivery of the strategic priorities for the force, aligned to your Police and Crime Plan.”
Mr Megicks is expected to retire from Cambridgeshire Constabulary on Tuesday, September 29 and be re-appointed on October 28 on a fixed-term contract until September 28, 2030.
During the month that Mr Megicks is retired, a temporary chief constable will be appointed.
The Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel will meet in Peterborough on September 16 to review the proposed appointment and make a report to the crime commissioner.
Mr Preston agreed to suport Mr Megicks’ request. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The Retire and Re-join scheme is widely used across policing and follows updated guidance from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, and the College of Policing.
“This change relates to employment status rather than leadership and I would like to reassure people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough that there will be no disruption to the force’s strategic direction or the services provided to the public.
“The chief constable remains fully committed to leading the organisation, and our focus will continue to be on keeping communities safe.”
The scheme allows soon to be retired officers the opportunity to retire and access their pension commutation without experiencing any loss, and to re-join as a warranted officer.