A HUDDERSFIELD man has taken up the policing reins in Calderdale.
And he has vowed: “I’ll keep the community at the heart of local policing”.
Chief Supt Chris Hardern, the new Divisional Commander, has been welcomed back to Calderdale after spending 10 years in other roles across the Force.
And as he takes on his “dream job”, Chief Supt Hardern said he was looking forward to serving the people of Calderdale.
“Policing is like working in an extended family. There are the police, partner agencies and the public all working together to make Calderdale a safer place for us all.
“I care about the communities I serve and will strive to do the best job that I can, but I need everyone’s help and support. I am determined that we build upon the division’s success by making continual improvements to people’s quality of life. We can do that at every level and in every part of the organisation.
“The priorities for my staff are very clear. They should think about how to reduce crime, catch criminals, deliver a service to be proud of and increase confidence in policing in everything they do.
“And my job is to make sure we continue to do it right and to identify what can be done better.”
He has previously been in charge of the Operations Support Division and recently the Kirklees Division.
Chief Supt Hardern, who is originally from Penzance but now lives in Huddersfield, studied agriculture at Leeds University, before joining the Army (Royal Engineers) in 1984.
After training at Sandhurst, he had postings in Kent, Germany and Hampshire, before leaving the Army to join West Yorkshire Police in 1987.
