Dorset Police 2024
12. Chief Constable
The Chief Constable’s roles and responsibilities
The Chief Constable is the most senior police officer in Dorset Police.
They have overall responsibility for leading the Force, creating a vision and setting direction and culture that builds public and organisational confidence and trust, and enables the delivery of a professional, effective and efficient policing service.
The Chief Constable holds direct accountability for the operational delivery of policing services and the effective command and leadership of the policing response to crime, and major and critical incidents.
They are responsible for influencing the development of regional and national policing and may be accountable for national operations or standard setting.
As a Corporation Sole, the Chief Constable is responsible for fulfilling all statutory and legal obligations of the office of Chief Constable and complying with any Schemes of Governance or Consent that exist, which determine force governance arrangements.
The Chief Constable must perform their duties in line with the strategic priorities set by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in their Police and Crime Plan. While the PCC appoints the Chief Constable, they are not their employer. The Chief Constable is a corporation sole and a servant of the Crown.
You can find further information about the role and responsibilities of the Chief Constable on the College of Policing website.