HomeLocalNottinghamshire Police chief's rejected role could face cancellation

Nottinghamshire Police chief’s rejected role could face cancellation

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The former head of Nottinghamshire Police’s potential new position, which she chose not to pursue during the Nottingham attacks investigation, could now be eliminated entirely. Kate Meynell had been scheduled to begin a new position after her tenure as Nottinghamshire Police’s Chief Constable, which was set to run from December 2022 through March 2026. However, the families of those affected by the Nottingham attacks expressed strong opposition to Meynell accepting a new role, given the police force’s shortcomings related to the events of June 13, 2023. Valdo Calocane murdered Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates during the early morning hours before attempting to kill three additional people. Approximately one month after reports surfaced about Meynell’s new position, it was announced that the former chief constable had chosen not to accept the role. Now, with confirmation that the position may be completely eliminated, a representative for the East Midlands Special Operations Unit stated they are reassessing the role in accordance with current financial circumstances. In her testimony to the inquiry, Meynell indicated she was scheduled to join EMSOU as head of its regional review unit in April. EMSOU consists of officers and personnel from the five police forces in the East Midlands, addressing the most serious, organized and violent criminal activity in the area. The regional review unit examines major investigations, critical incidents and other designated inquiries or themes, and the position Meynell had applied for had been in existence for over a decade. Questions persist about why she found time to pursue a new position despite requesting additional time to complete her witness statement for the Nottingham Inquiry. The police oversight body also continues to await essential witness statements from Meynell to finalize two investigations into Nottinghamshire Police. Responding to news that the position might be eliminated entirely, Barnaby Webber’s mother Emma commented that she believes this is an attempt at damage control, suggesting it’s simpler to claim she didn’t take the position because it no longer exists due to financial constraints. She emphasized that the critical issue is Meynell’s ability to apply for a position when she was unable to provide key witness statements to both the inquiry and the IOPC. Nottinghamshire Police announced in October 2025 that Meynell would retire in March 2026 after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Meynell was earning a publicly-funded salary of approximately £190,000 while serving as Nottinghamshire Police’s Chief Constable at the time of the Nottingham attacks. The failures during her leadership included allowing an arrest warrant for Calocane to remain unimplemented for nine months before his attacks and conducting a confidential briefing containing important information about the force’s previous contact with Calocane.

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