Leicester DCC Mike Goodwin Retires

Tue, 12 January 2010 Courtesy of: Leicestershire Constabulary

Leicestershire Constabulary's Deputy Chief Constable Mike Goodwin retires on 14 January 2010 after 30 years police service including eight years as a Chief Police Officer in Leicestershire.

From March 2010 Mike will take up a role with the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) as National Senior Careers Development Advisor for Chief Police Officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. He has also been selected, for the third consecutive year, to be a Syndicate Director on the National Police Strategic Command Course between January and March 2010.

According to Mike “It has been a great honour to have been a Chief Officer in Leicestershire for the last 8 years. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved in partnership with local colleagues. My retirement marks the end of 30 years continuous police service including West Midlands Police and the Metropolitan Police Service.”

“Whilst I’m sad to be leaving I’m nevertheless delighted that I will be able to put my experience to good use in coaching and developing the Chief Police Officers of the future. I’m also very proud to be selected once again to be a Syndicate Director on this year’s National Police Strategic Command Course. It’s great news that some of the leading edge public sector leadership work here in Leicestershire will once again achieve both national and international exposure to the future leaders of the Police Service. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

Temporary Chief Constable Chris Eyre paid tribute to Mike “Along with the other Chief Officers I’ve enjoyed working with Mike over the last few years. His contribution to the Force, particularly in terms of Neighbourhood Policing, work with local partners and leadership development will be missed. However, it is good to know that the knowledge and experience built up over the last 30 years will not be lost but put to good use developing policing’s future leaders. My colleagues and I wish him every success with the National Police Strategic Command Course and with the NPIA.”

“great honour to have been a Chief Officer in Leicestershire for the last 8 years”

The National Police Strategic Command Course is the most senior course for police leaders and successful completion of the course is mandatory for those who wish to apply for chief officer posts in any of the 43 police forces of England Wales and Northern Ireland. It is reserved for those who aspire to the highest ranks in the Police Service and to participate on the course candidates have to pass a demanding four day national assessment centre.

This year’s course is one of the largest ever and comprises over 50 participants. Most candidates are police officers of Chief Superintendent rank but the course also includes senior police staff such as HR and Finance directors as well senior police officers this year from the Scottish Police Forces, the Gendarmerie Nationale, Calgary Police Canada, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency.

The Course is held at both the National College for Police Leadership in Hampshire and the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan. Participants will also undertake consultancy work during an attachment to a private or public sector organisation whilst on the Course. The Course is of eight week duration and comprises assessed modules on: leading in partnership, managing performance, managing diversity as well as taking operational command of high profile counter terrorist operations and the aftermath of major disaster or civil emergency.

In Leicestershire Mike led on the introduction of Neighbourhood Policing. He was also a driving force behind the innovative interagency public sector senior leadership programme ‘Leadership in Partnership’ launched in June 2009. The course is a partnership between Warwick’s Institute of Governance and Public Management and all of the public sector agencies in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Mike joined Leicestershire from West Midlands Police where he served as Area Commander at Sutton Coldfield, as well as operational command posts in Coventry, Birmingham City and Sandwell and also as Head of Press and Public Relations.

Prior to this he served in the Metropolitan Police which he joined in 1980 and where he held operational postings as a Constable, Sergeant and Inspector in Lambeth and London's West End. He also spent time at New Scotland Yard where he had responsibility for developing policy on community policing and crime reduction partnerships.

Before joining the Metropolitan Police he graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury with a BA(Hons) in English and American Literature. He also holds an MBA with Distinction from the University of Warwick Business School, a Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors and a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Criminology from the University of Cambridge.

He was awarded the Police Long Service and Good Conduct medal in 2002.