Debbie Tedds will be the first female Chief Constable in Warwickshire Police’s history after her selection in May by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) as his preferred candidate for the position was confirmed by the Police and Crime Panel on 11 June.
Debbie Tedds joined Warwickshire Police in March 1989. She served across Warwickshire in a variety of roles and departments as a Constable, predominantly within the Investigations departments, and was promoted to Detective Sergeant in 2002.
Debbie progressed through the ranks, being the first female Warwickshire officer to achieve the rank of Detective Inspector working within Reactive CID, Proactive CID, Intelligence and setting up the Protecting Vulnerable Persons unit and introducing Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences into Warwickshire before being promoted to Superintendent in 2009 to head up the then Judicial Services Department. She was one of the founder members of Senior Women in Policing for Warwickshire and was nominated for a Continued Excellence in Performance Award presented by the British Association for Women in Policing.
Debbie was seconded to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary in 2011 as a Specialist Staff Officer, leading on vulnerability and, in particular, child protection. Following this role she returned to Warwickshire Police and was appointed as the Policing Area Commander for South Warwickshire. She was then promoted, in 2015, as Chief Superintendent and performed roles across the former alliance with West Mercia Police.
Debbie was appointed as Warwickshire’s Assistant Chief Constable for Protective Services and Professional Services in May 2019, while also leading the implementation of the force’s Evolve Change programme, transitioning services out of the strategic alliance.
Earlier this year Debbie was appointed as the force’s Temporary Deputy Chief Constable and has recently taken over the NPCC Vetting Portfolio.
Chief Constable Debbie Tedds said, “Having served as an officer at every rank within the force and across the county for more than 30 years, to be afforded the opportunity to be the first female Chief Constable in our 164-year history is an absolute honour and privilege.
“I will now have the opportunity of a lifetime to lead an incredible force to provide the very highest standards of care and protection to the communities of Warwickshire. I will do this in the full knowledge that Warwickshire is equipped with highly skilled officers, staff and volunteers to whom I am dedicated to supporting.
“I passionately care about Warwickshire and its people and I’m excited to continue to develop our force to ensure its services are of the upmost quality, fit for now and the future, putting the care of our people at the heart of everything we do.”
