Top cop loses out on job in England… and heads back to Scotland

Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond will return to Police Scotland after missing out on the role of Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police. The recruitment process was ended by Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe, who withdrew her status as preferred candidate without giving a reason. The outcome leaves Warwickshire seeking a permanent chief, a matter of concern to local Labour MP Matt Western.

Bond had been announced as the preferred candidate in June for a post paying £188,656. She has been seconded to the Home Office from Police Scotland, where she has served since 2022, and previously worked for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. In Scotland, she was among senior officers overseeing a policy under which more than 22,000 crimes were closed without full investigations; a 2023 employment tribunal also upheld her discrimination and whistleblowing claims and awarded her £31,105.