Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (Commissioner), David Allen, has selected Temporary Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary, Darren Martland, as his preferred candidate for Chief Constable.
The choice of preferred candidate to be Chief Constable follows a rigorous selection process by a panel with professional policing knowledge and an understanding of the criminal justice system in Cumbria. The Appointments Panel was chaired by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, with support from three representatives from across the county and policing.
Commissioner David Allen said: “As Commissioner, I have the very genuine honour of appointing the Chief Constable for Cumbria Constabulary.
“Cumbria is one of the safest counties in the UK. However, due to its size and geography, it comes with a distinctly unique set of challenges. As a result, the Chief Constable must be innovative and dynamic.
“The candidates demonstrated strong leadership and exceptional knowledge around policing, making the selection process difficult for the appointments panel.
“I am pleased to announce Darren Martland as my preferred candidate. Darren has been with Cumbria Constabulary since July 2023 and for the last eight months has been Temporary Chief Constable.
“I will continue to keep the public updated following the decision made by the Police, Fire and Crime Panel at the end of the month.”
The next stage in the process is that, as required by statutory regulations, the Police, Fire and Crime Panel will hold a confirmatory hearing on 27 February to assess Darren Martland’s suitability for the role of Chief Constable. Following that the Panel will make a recommendation to the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner about whether the appointment should be confirmed.