Avon and Somerset Police chief to stand down
Chief Constable Andy March will leave his role in July
Last updated 7th Apr 2021
The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police has announced he will leave his role in the summer.
Andy Marsh first joined the force in 1987 and says it has been the honour of his life to lead them.
He won the Queen's Police Medal in 2018 and was a key player in helping introduce body worn cameras, but the behaviour of his officers has been questioned of late during their response to several Kill the Bill protests in Bristol.
After the first such protest on 21 March during which several police vehicles were set alight and the front of Bridewell Police Station smashed up, he gave a statement claiming several officers suffered broken bones and one a punctured lung,
That was later retracted as incorrect and at later marches, officers were filmed attacking journalists and claiming they did not believe their press passes were real. Avon and Somerset Police later apologised.
The force also came under fire from some quarters last summer, for its response to the Black Lives Matter protest during which the Edward Colston statue was torn down.
CC Marsh said: “To leave a force I first joined in 1987 has been a difficult decision to make, but I feel it is the right time for me to embark on a new challenge and for another person to take the helm and continue on the journey to make Avon and Somerset Police the outstanding force it deserves to be.
“It’s been the honour of a lifetime to lead a force filled with officers, staff and volunteers who live and breathe our values of being a caring, courageous, inclusive and a learning-led organisation.
"I’m very proud of their achievements and the work they do every day to serve and protect the public."
After starting at Avon and Somerset Police, CC Marsh took on both operational and detective roles up to the role of Chief Superintendent and BCU Commander, first for South Bristol and then Somerset East.
He went onto serve as Assistant Chief Constable at Wiltshire Police and then Avon and Somerset Police, before being appointed Deputy Chief Constable and then Chief Constable at Hampshire Police, before taking on the Chief Constable role at Avon and Somerset Police in February 2016.
He will now leave the force when his contract expires at the start of July.
“Along with society, the world of policing has undergone a seismic shift since I joined in the late 1980s in terms of culture, attitude and professionalism, and from my role as NPCC lead for international policing, I know our model of policing remains very much the envy of the world," he continues in a statement.
“One of my enduring passions in my policing career has been my national role in advancing and promoting the use of Body Worn Video (BWV).
"I truly believe the advancement of BVW affords the police greater legitimacy and accountability in the eyes of the public.
"But it’s not only this; BWV can show people the complexity and ambiguity of challenges and dangers officers and staff face on a daily basis and highlight the risks they take with their safety, to keep the public safe.
“On reflection, I’ll take great pride in the trail-blazing advances the force has made in equipping our officers and staff with the best technology in the world, helping us to become more agile and data driven in investigating and disrupting crime, safeguarding and protecting victims and identifying those who pose the greatest risk of harm."
He says the force needs to "stay ahead of the curve" when it comes to new technology and that Avon and Somerset Police is a leading force in that regard.
"Policing will of course always be about people, and our vision, leadership and operationalisation of the opportunities offered by digital, technology and data will keep this force at the leading edge," he says.
“The Avon and Somerset area has wonderfully rich diversity, strong communities and an enduring sense of public spirit, which will only make it an even harder wrench to leave my role this summer.”