Replacement for disgraced top cop Nick Adderley confirmed with Ivan Balhatchet appointed as new chief constable for Northamptonshire Police
Ivan Balhatchet has been appointed as the new police chief for Northamptonshire, taking over from disgraced cop Nick Adderley.
Acting Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet has said restoring trust and confidence in the county’s police force is one of his top priorities, as he faced questions from the Northamptonshire Police Fire and Crime Panel.
Mr Balhatchet was publicly named as Police Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) Danielle Stone’s preferred candidate for police chief earlier this month after a ‘competitive’ recruitment process.
He has held the top cop position on an interim basis since October 2023, when an investigation was launched into the misconduct of disgraced ex-Chief Constable Nick Adderley.
The county’s PFCC panel met on Monday, January 27, to scrutinise his appointment and ensure the proper checks had been carried out by the Commissioner.
Mr Balhatchet told the panel: “It’s been many, many years since we’ve had a chief constable with a background from Northamptonshire. I think that’s really important, more than ever now in terms of what we’ve been through.
“I want to be here as the Chief Constable because I’m passionate about this county, I live in this county. It isn’t just about the job for me, it’s about having a proper plan and actually a legacy to improve people’s lives in Northamptonshire and that’s what I want to do.”
He joined Northamptonshire Police in 2000 where he carried out a variety of roles as a detective, Strategic Firearms Commander, and hostage negotiator. In 2016, he headed the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Command in London before returning to Northamptonshire in 2022.
“I know that trust and confidence in Northamptonshire Police is the lowest it ever has been and I want to be a key part of improving that and getting us back on track,” the high-ranking cop added.
“How do we do that? By responding to people when they call us, by being accessible and open and visible, treating people right, and giving them quality investigations when people do have to report a crime.”
Restoring trust in policing
PFCC Danielle Stone said: “When I came into office, as you know, I was faced with a force that had suffered a crisis in leadership. One of my first jobs, unfortunately, was to sack the previous chief.
“I’ve been looking to take the force into a bit of a different direction. I know I found in Ivan someone who’s determined to do exactly that- to restore trust within policing and our communities.”
She told the panel that the vetting process this time around had been ‘really robust’, vowing that she had personally read every CV received during the application process. Former Northamptonshire top cop Adderley was dismissed in June 2024 after being found guilty of gross misconduct for misrepresenting his military career and printing a series of other falsehoods in his CV.
Ms Stone added: “We’re taking vetting to a new level in Northamptonshire and we’re setting the pace nationally on that. I’m very proud of that and, actually, out of something quite bad has come something quite good.”
‘We lost our way’
Mr Balhatchet also recognised visible and open policing as one of his priorities for his tenure as Northants police chief.
“I think we lost our way and we withdrew from neighbourhoods and communities. We have made some decisions in the past which, on reflection, probably weren’t the best way forward in terms of closing town centre police stations and alike. We’re repairing that now.
“It is my vision to make Northamptonshire the safest place in the country. I’m hoping people are going to see that actually we are heading in the right direction. I’m really excited about what we can achieve as a county.”
He also stressed the need to examine culture and standards within the force on all levels and show the public what the police are doing to address misconduct issues and hold officers to account.
Members at the confirmation hearing were asked to confirm the proposed appointment of Mr Balhatchet as Chief Constable. The meeting went into a closed session to discuss their decision in private.
The panel will be able to make recommendations about the appointment to the Commissioner. An appointment can only be vetoed if the group decides there has been a significant failure of ‘due diligence’ checks.
If appointed Mr Balhatchet will take home a salary in excess of £176,000 a year.