Mental health plea made to new Cambridgeshire police chief
Simon Megicks replaces Nick Dean who has stepped down from the role
Calls are being made to make sure the mental health of Cambridgeshire police officers is taken seriously.
"We need that resourcing to be able to do our jobs right and so we're not burning people out," Liz Groom, chair of the Cambridgeshire Police Federation, said.
Ms Groom's comments come as Simon Megicks starts his role as the force's new chief constable from today, replacing Nick Dean who's stepped down after seven years in the role.
Mr Megicks - who started his policing career in Cambridgeshire - was previously a deputy chief constable in Norfolk which he became in 2021.
'Sometimes having change is good'
A report by the Police Federation of England and Wales in March this year found 84% of Cambridgeshire police officers intended to leave the force within the next two years due to low morale.
While 73% cited they'd want to quit because of the impact of their job on mental health and wellbeing.
"The pressure on officers now in all departments are higher than I've ever known them, so the chief constable needs to be attuned to how officers are feeling," Ms Groom said.
"He's not going to have an easy time and no chief constable does at the moment with limitations around budgets and the demand we face.
"But he'll come in with his own ideas, his own way of looking at things and sometimes, having change is good."
Who is Simon Megicks?
Born and bred in Cambridgeshire, Mr Megicks began his service in Cambridge and covered the likes of Huntingdonshire and Peterborough before returning to Cambridge as a superintendent.
He concentrated on neighbourhood policing, and worked with local partners to ensure the safety of children and other vulnerable people in the county as a senior detective.
After leaving Cambridgeshire in 2015, Mr Megicks was a temporary assistant chief constable in Hertfordshire.
Two years later, he was promoted to assistant chief constable and worked as a collaborative lead for protective services across Norfolk and Suffolk.
'Change of outlook'
Kevin Misik, branch secretary at the Cambridgeshire Police Federation, worked with Mr Megicks earlier in his career.
"Having a change in outlook from somebody coming in from a different force is always a positive," he said.
"We look forward to working with Mr Megicks to make sure our officers and members are looked after and are able to deliver a really good service for the public."
When asked what he'd like to see the new chief constable focus on, Mr Misik was keen to see frontline officers given more help.
"All of our members are important, but our members who work on the frontline feel it quite acutely," he added.
"They are the ones who're answering 999 calls, investigating the crime and there's a lot of work they have to do and it would be good to see the organisation understand and support them."