A Temporary Chief Constable has been appointed to oversee Staffordshire Police following the retirement of former boss Gareth Morgan.

Emma Barnett, who was previously Deputy Chief Constable, has stepped up to the chief's role and her appointment was confirmed unanimously by members of Staffordshire's Police, Fire and Crime Panel on Monday (June 21).

A report to Monday's meeting said that the salary for the Temporary Chief Constable role would be £156,693.

It added: "The former Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police retired from the role on 14th June, following a three month notice period. The retirement came four years into a five year contract.

"There is a legal requirement for a Chief Constable role to be filled at all times, so during any recruitment process for the permanent role, a Temporary Chief Constable (TCC) has to be appointed.

The process detailed above is likely to complete in October 2021, with a notice period meaning that a permanent role may not be filled until January 2022, at the latest, depending on whether there is an internal or external appointment.

TCC Barnett's policing career began 27 years ago with West Midlands Police. Over the years she carried out a number of roles including detective, senior investigating officer, tactical firearms commander and public order commander.

She told the panel: "My heart is always in neighbourhood policing and my last two postings were as chief superintendent – I was the local policing commander for South Birmingham – and then my final posting was as commander of one of the largest command units in the country, which is Birmingham West and Central.

"I joined Staffordshire Police in August 2016. I can honestly say I've never looked back. The force is an amazing organisation and I was very welcome from day one.

"I've had two periods of being the deputy – I was Temporary Deputy Chief Constable at the start of last year when Gareth Morgan, the-then Chief Constable went to the College of policing on secondment, and then I became the Deputy Chief Constable following a process last summer and took up the role last August.

"Over the course of my five years at Staffordshire Police I have led a number of critical incidents and our response to issues that may impact the confidence our communities have in Staffordshire Police. That includes when we had a significant IT failure over a weekend, through to how we have led some of the major criminal investigations we've had and our response four years ago after the Manchester Arena terrorist attack when we had armed officers on the street and there was a real need to provide reassurance to the public.

"But I don't think anything prepared me for taking command of the force's response to the pandemic last March, and I led that for the first four or five months. On a personal and professional level it was probably one of the most challenging periods of policing and of my career, to ensure we retained our legitimacy in our communities when faced with absolute necessity to enforce restrictions which I don't think any of us have ever really thought or considered how we would go about doing that.

"I've moved up to Staffordshire – I used to live in Worcestershire and it was a bit of a torturous commute – but now I feel very much that this is my home.

"My aim over the next couple of months, recognising that this is a temporary arrangement, is not to make sweeping change. I don't think that is within my gift, but it is to offer some stability and continuity.

"I believe in the direction of travel the previous Chief Constable set and I was part of that decision-making process. We are still in uncertain times as we come out of Covid, understanding what the new normality is going to be and what that means for policing."