Gloucestershire’s chief constable, Rod Hansen, will leave his role at the end of July 2026 after Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson decided not to renew his contract. Hansen, who has firmly denied all wrongdoing, has been suspended on full pay for nearly two years and is awaiting a gross misconduct hearing.
The suspension followed allegations related to a data breach which led to the intervention by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). In October 2024, Commissioner Nelson suspended Hansen after serious concerns were raised regarding his handling of a report about an unauthorized data access incident.
The IOPC’s investigation concluded almost a year ago that Hansen should face a gross misconduct hearing. The allegations state that in October 2022, Hansen failed to take adequate action after being informed about a staff member suspected of unauthorized searches on police systems and accessing third-party personal data following a road traffic collision. Additionally, Hansen is accused of providing a false or misleading statement during the investigation of the data breach.
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Separately, in March 2025, Hansen was cleared of allegations regarding improper involvement in the recruitment of a police staff member.
Hansen originally took up the role of chief constable in May 2017 under a fixed five-year term. He was granted a five-year extension in 2020 by former police and crime commissioner Martin Surl, having previously been awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service.
The Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner confirmed to Gloucestershire Live that Nelson will not extend Hansen’s contract beyond July 2026. The ongoing gross misconduct hearing, which began on July 16, has been adjourned for legal reasons and will not resume until at least December.
During this period, Maggie Blyth, appointed as temporary chief constable in October 2024, will lead the force. An open and transparent recruitment process will commence to find a permanent chief constable.