We spoke exclusively to Nick Dean, Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Police about the highlights of his career, how he tries to switch off from the demands of his role and the messages he sends to Federation members in current times.
While his rise through the ranks may have seen him earn many plaudits throughout the years and even recently a King’s Policing Medal (KPM) Nick says he has never lost sight of where he has come from as a police officer.
His time in the police began in 1992, which was actually a few years later than he would have liked – having grown up in Halesowen, he applied to join his local force, West Midlands, but was not accepted due to being half a centimetre too short for their restrictions on height.
Nick also missed the cut for West Mercia Police because he lacked life experience, so he turned to the army. However, in a continuation of fine margins, he ended up in the Royal Air Force.
“The army recruitment centre was closed for lunch,” Nick explained. “So I went next door to the RAF, and that’s how the first few years of my career after school played out.
“I was stationed in Norfolk and then out to Germany in Gutersloh for three years, before my final year at High Wycombe as an RAF Police Officer until 1992. I really enjoyed my time in Germany, but I always knew the Police was still ambition-number-one for me.”
When he eventually joined the Force, it was as part of Norfolk Constabulary, which, fortunately, had no height-related stipulations for him to contend with.
“I started as a constable on a response team in King’s Lynn, and I knew, straight away, that I was doing the right thing for myself. I loved being on the frontline and what made matters even better was that I had three influential sergeants who all took me under their wing, as well as a tutor who I’m still in touch with today,” Nick continued.
“I learned so much under them – they certainly set me off on the right course. And the role overall gave me a really good grounding in policing, I feel.”
The 57-year-old then undertook exams to become a sergeant himself, holding posts in response, custody, force control room and corporate support before eventually becoming an inspector.
It was in this role, based in West Norfolk, that Nick was required to face some of the strongest public adversity of his career amid numerous high-profile cases.
“The Tony Martin shooting in 1999, in particular, caused a heightened debate around police visibility and engagement when it came to rural crime. This was tricky for us as a force to deal with, but it also gave me my first real taste of witnessing the police having to provide answers to the public,” he said.
More inspector roles followed into the new millennium for Nick, including a promotion to chief inspector, taking charge of four neighbourhood sectors.
He credited his subsequent eight-year spell as Superintendent as one of the most enjoyable parts of his policing journey, where he took on an even greater geographical area, including a proud return to King’s Lynn. His duties eventually led him to become District Superintendent of Norwich, and part of this was as a match commander at the city’s football club.
As a keen Norwich City fan and season ticket holder himself, one of the more unpleasant aspects of this post was seeing his continuing ascent through the police ranks contrast the routine rise and fall of his team between the first and second tiers of English football.
“We are one of the best-known ‘yo-yo’ clubs in the country with the number of promotions and relegations we have had, so the disappointing moments made the job difficult sometimes,” he laughed.
“But on a serious note, it was an immense responsibility that I was again very proud to carry out for a number of years.”
After a move to Detective Superintendent, Nick was then put in charge of local policing for the entire county when he stepped into the role of Chief Superintendent.
It was during this period of his career that he studied for a Master’s degree in Police Executive Management and Criminology at Cambridge University, an achievement he says is one of his most prized.
“The degree really opened up my eyes to how international policing truly is, because there were people from many different countries. It also gave me a real insight into evidence-based policing,” he continued.
“It was an honour to study at one of the world’s most prestigious universities and somewhere that is now under my command as Chief.”
Then in late 2015, he attended the Force’s Strategic Command Course to set him on the path to the position of Deputy Chief Constable. Nick remained in the role until the moment came to draw the curtain on his 26-year association with Norfolk Constabulary in 2018.
A switch of force only came at the very end for Nick in his rank progression when he began his present role as Cambridgeshire’s Chief Constable.
“Cambridgeshire presented itself to me as a good force and a good opportunity. I am so happy to be here. Compared to Norfolk, the demand here is completely different – there is a greater demand placed on urban policing in our three cities of Cambridge, Peterborough and Ely – and I think it has been a welcome challenge for my personal and professional development,” he said.
“Wherever I’ve gone and whatever job I’ve done, however, the core of policing has always stayed the same for me: we are here to help people often at times when they are at their most vulnerable.
“No matter what, we can always help people – that’s the value I want to instil into my force before anything else.”
This is a force Nick says he greatly appreciates and paid tribute to for their tireless commitment and work ethic.
He added recognition for the various challenges currently facing Cambridgeshire officers and outlined plans for obstacles unique to the county’s police.
He explained: “What keeps me awake at night is my people and the worry that they are working so hard, balancing all their other life pressures against the demands of modern-day policing.
“We have challenges that are nuanced to our force – the cost of living for our officers is an example. I sometimes recruit officers who can’t afford to live in Cambridgeshire, which is ridiculous.
“Between the Federation and I, we are lobbying local MPs about the South East Allowance not currently afforded to Cambridgeshire. It is paid to all forces that surround London apart from us, as it stands, and we are going to push for the introduction of this Allowance and a fairer deal because we are certainly part of the cost of living and housing price picture in this part of the country.”
Nick then turned his attention to wider issues across the entire organisation affecting his officers.
He discussed workforce challenges, where he stated that despite being one of the few forces to close their recruitment lines at present, Cambridgeshire must still navigate demands to nurture new recruits with enough guidance and experience amid an influx of young officers due to the recently concluded Police Uplift Programme.
Levels of internal and external confidence in the Police were also given some thought by the 57-year-old, who asserted, ‘it is down to us to maintain good standards’, adding, ‘only we can do it, and it is within our gift to do so’.
Nick said it would be remiss of him not to address the financial landscape of the Force nationally, and at the forefront of this, the recent 4.75 per cent pay rise awarded to police officers in England and Wales by the newly elected UK Government.
“Of course, any pay rise is welcome, but my personal opinion is that officers deserve more,” he said.
“While we do need to look at public sector expenditure in its entirety and say it has not been enough across the board, the complexity of policing is always increasing due to the needs of communities. Police officers and staff need to be compensated properly for this and I think there’s work to be done to get closer to something more appropriate.”
There is certainly enough, therefore, to keep Nick’s level of concern ticking over as Chief Constable – but how does he switch off from his busy work life?
“I can admit that I do find it very difficult to switch off. When I do manage it, though, I enjoy getting out and walking, particularly in the Peaks. Other than that, I just make time for family and friends. I have two children from my first marriage who are grown up now with their own busy lives, so I love seeing them when I can,” he said.
Although self-admittedly not the best example, Nick, who is remarried, stressed the importance of maintaining a work-life balance.
“I would urge anyone working in the police to hold onto their hobbies or interests outside of policing – you may have to adjust them for your work life, but don’t let them disappear completely,” he added.
Overall, however, the father-of-two says he loves his job despite its various pressures and demands.
He labelled his current role one of the highlights of his career, explaining that he feels honoured to be in a ‘hugely privileged position’ leading a team of over 1,700 officers and 800 police staff.
Nick insists, nevertheless, that he never joined the Police Force in order to climb the ranks.
“I never mapped it out – it’s just the result of my ambition and each opportunity arising in its own right. I’ll always remember my early days as a constable, and I’d like to think I still have a good connection with the frontline now.
“I love the fact that even in this position, I may have a booked-up diary, but my day could still turn on a sixpence. It’s like that for everyone who works in policing, no matter what rank or grade you are.
“I think it’s so important to always remember where you came from.”
It is this same sentiment that Nick holds for the King’s Policing Medal he was awarded earlier this year for distinguished services to policing.
Back in June, the experienced cop discovered he was to be recognised as part of the King’s 2024 Birthday Honours and is now awaiting confirmation of when and where he will be formally presented with the Medal.
“It’s a really huge honour,” he said. “But I couldn’t have done what I have done without all the amazing people who have supported me over the years, so it’s a real testament to them.
“When I eventually go and receive it, wherever that may be, it will be an extremely proud day – that’s for sure.”
And off the back of his recent achievement, he shared his excitement for the future as Chief Constable.
“I hope, over the 32 years of my career, I have left something behind and set a good example. I hope I’ve proven I wasn’t short to be in the Police either,” Nick laughed.
“But I am certainly not done yet. I still have a real desire to make a difference in this role, and even more importantly, I want to empower other officers to do the same.
“We’re all in this together, and we can all do great work for policing,” he ended.