Chief Constable Lee Freeman KPM appointed His Majestys Inspector for Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services

Chief Constable Lee Freeman KPM today announced that he will be leaving Humberside Police in the summer, having been appointed as His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, following a formal announcement by the Home Office earlier today. 

His announcement marks an end to his six-year tenure in charge of Humberside Police, which has seen the force transform from ‘special measures’ to being graded outstanding and the highest performing force in the country.

On the appointment, Mr Freeman said, “Of course I am delighted to receive this public appointment. However, making the decision to leave has been incredibly difficult. Humberside is my home force, and one that I feel proud and privileged to have led over the last six years.

“I leave an outstanding force, with strong leadership throughout the organisation, an outstanding workforce, 750 more police officers policing our region than I inherited and a strong financial base from which to continue to improve even further”

He added; “When I took over as Chief in June 2017, the force was in ‘special measures’ and remained so until 2018.  At the time, I said that my ambition was that our local communities have a right to be policed by one of the best performing forces in the country. With the unfailing support of every member of staff, this was achieved in November 2022. It must not stop”

“However, I have always been clear that until every victim and member of the public feels that shift, we have more work still to do. However, I am confident that the team I leave behind, will continue to listen to its communities until the improvements are seen and felt by everyone”

During Mr Freeman’s leadership, the force has been on a transformational journey; from a force under ‘special measures’ to a force graded as outstanding by HMICFRS.  In that time, Humberside Police has also grown its officer numbers by an additional 750, one of the highest numbers of police officers in the force’s history.

Earlier this year, the force became the top force for call handling performance, achieved the highest positive outcome rates for victims and have been nationally recognised for how they have transformed both their culture and service delivery by winning the prestigious Police Force of the Year for consecutively for both 2022 and 2023.

On today’s news, Jonathan Evison, Police and Crime Commissioner, said; “Chief Constable Freeman has been an exemplary and transformational leader of Humberside Police for the past six years and has seen the force achieve the best independent inspection grades of any force in the country.  I know he will apply his leadership and experience to his new role with HMICFRS with great success, making a further contribution to policing on a national level. His leadership is no doubt a loss to the force, but I will be embarking on a recruitment campaign imminently to find our next Chief Constable, someone who is able to continue the work of Chief Constable Freeman and take the force even further to ensure the communities of East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire continue to see and feel improved performance.  I personally thank Chief Constable Freeman for his service to Humberside Police and our communities and wish him all the best in his new role."

Mr Freeman has worked as a police officer for 30 years, starting his career at City of London Police in 1993, before moving to Lincolnshire Police. In 2016, he joined Humberside Police, as Assistant Chief Constable, before becoming Chief Constable in 2017. In 2022, Mr Freeman was awarded the Kings Police Medal in recognition for his contribution to policing in the New Year’s Honours List.

Mr Freeman stated, “It has been an absolute privilege and honour to be the Chief Constable of Humberside Police, serving the area where I grew up and identify so closely with, for the last 6 years”.