Top lawman is awarded Queen’s Police Medal for transforming the force
The man at the top of Northumbria Police has been honoured by the Queen for his work to transform the force.
Chief Constable Winton Keenen has been awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service in the New Year’s honours list announced today.
Mr Keenen joined Northumbria Police in 1985 and apart from a period on deployment to Iraq as the first Contingent Commander of UK Civilian Police Officers at the end of the Gulf War, he has remained with the force ever since.
He has held a number of roles, including specialist investigations where he investigated more than 20 homicides and tackled serious and organised crime.
The nomination pays tribute to the work he has done to make the force more answerable to the public and improve confidence in its performance.
"He has deliberately and successfully led Northumbria Police to achieving the very highest levels of public-confidence and citizen safety; as well as becoming the most representative, inclusive and most well-being focused the force has ever been,” it says.
"He has created strong relationships with external partners that have benefited
the way in which not only Northumbria Police functions but also the local area and people.
"He is well-known across the North East for his drive and determination to deliver policing services that retain community engagement as their main focus.”
When Mr Keenen assumed
the role of Chief Constable, he vowed to create a more open, transparent and inclusive force.
"Under his leadership the force has delivered on these commitments and Northumbria Police is ranked by the Crime Survey for England and Wales as first out of all the 43 UK forces for the confidence its communities have in it,” says the nomination.
It adds that improving relations with the community has paid off during the Covid pandemic.
"The last 12 months have been testament to the effectiveness of these relationships that were established during ‘good times’ and proven invaluable during a time of crisis," the nomination testimony went onto say.
Mr Keenen is due to retire in 2022 and the nomination says he “will without doubt leave a long-lasting legacy that epitomises great British police leadership”.