The Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel met to discuss the proposed appointment of a new Chief Constable for Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Mr Simon Megicks. The panel was to review the process that led to the nomination of Mr Megicks, and decide whether to support his appointment. The panel had the power to veto the appointment.

Appointment of Chief Constable

The panel were scheduled to discuss the proposed appointment of Mr Simon Megicks as the new Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary. The post was advertised after the tenure of Chief Constable Nick Dean ended on 28 September 2025.

Darryl Preston, Police & Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, initiated a recruitment process, and informed the Chair of the Police & Crime Panel of the intended recruitment process on 1 May 2025.

The recruitment panel included:

• Darryl Preston, Police & Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough — Chair
• James Vaughan QPM, Chief Constable, Devon & Cornwall Police Senior Policing Adviser
• Robert Bridge, Chief Executive, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority — Panel Member
• Dr Stephen Moir, Chief Executive, Cambridgeshire County Council Independent Member

Dr Stephen Moir prepared an independent report on the fairness and integrity of the recruitment arrangements, which was provided to the panel.

The recruitment process consisted of three stages: application, shortlisting, and assessment and interviews. The final stage included internal and external stakeholder panels. The internal stakeholder panel was chaired by Chief Superintendent Rebecca Tipping and included officers of various ranks and police staff from across Cambridgeshire Constabulary. The external stakeholder panel was chaired by Jack Hudson (Chief Executive) and was made up of senior representatives from partner agencies, local authorities, community leaders, voluntary and third-sector organisations and other key stakeholders.

Following the assessment process, the recruitment panel reached a unanimous decision that Mr Megicks was the preferred candidate. Mr Megicks is currently the Deputy Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary and is also the National Police Chief Constables Lead for Public Contact.

The terms and conditions of the appointment include:

• An initial term of appointment of five years.
• A salary of £181,575, nationally set by the Home Secretary.
• Relocation and other expenses payable in accordance with regulations.
• A car allowance.

The panel were asked to support the appointment of Mr Megicks as the Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Confirmation Hearing Process

The panel were scheduled to discuss the process to be followed in respect of the proposed appointment of the Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire.

The panel received notification of the proposed appointment on 15 August 2025, via a letter from the Police and Crime Commissioners Office. The letter detailed that Mr Simon Megicks was to be appointed as Chief Constable.

The panel has the authority to veto the appointment. The report pack stated that the panel may advise the Commissioner against making the appointment, and if a veto occurs, the candidate must not be appointed.

Following the panel's decision, a report would be sent to the Commissioner confirming the outcome. The decision may either accept or reject the Commissioner's recommendation, and the Panel is not obligated to provide reasons for its decision.