A senior police office once based in Bristol has been suspended from his Chief Constable role amid a gross misconduct investigation. Gloucestershire’s top police officer, Chief Constable Rod Hansen, who also served in the SAS has been temporarily removed from his position while a probe into claims of serious wrongdoing is carried out.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has verified the suspension to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The suspension will be subject to an inquiry by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson stated that the IOPC is looking into an alleged breach of professional standards.
He has decided to suspend Mr Hansen from his role until the investigation is complete. Mr Nelson said his team is now working to find a temporary chief constable to lead the force in the meantime, reports Gloucestershire Live.
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Mr Nelson said: “Earlier today, the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) informed Chief Constable Rod Hansen that it is investigating an alleged breach of standards of professional behaviour.”
“I have decided to suspend Mr Hansen from his role with Gloucestershire Constabulary pending the outcome of this investigation. I will emphasise that the decision to suspend is a neutral act. It has no bearing on any indication of guilt and should not be seen as such.”
“I have spoken to His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke, after taking this decision. The Executive Board will provide continuity for the organisation.”
“My team and I are now working with other colleagues in policing to nationally identify a temporary Chief Constable who can lead Gloucestershire Constabulary during this period.”
“I know that this will come as a shock to many in the county, especially to our hard working officers and staff, and to our partner organisations, but it is right that any allegations are dealt with consistently and investigated properly, thoroughly and swiftly. I have every confidence that the IOPC will do exactly that.”
“It will be up to the IOPC to lead on any communication about the investigation that it considers necessary.”
“In the meantime, I would like to assure residents and criminals alike that the Constabulary will be operating as normal, keeping our residents safe, and preventing and detecting crime.”
An IOPC spokesperson confirmed: “We can confirm we are investigating conduct allegations against the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary, Rod Hansen. The investigation follows a referral in August from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire.”
They added that a gross misconduct notice was served on the Chief Constable advising him that his conduct was under investigation, clarifying that this notice does not necessarily mean any disciplinary proceedings will follow.
“The investigation concerns his handling of an allegation against a member of staff, and whether relevant policies and procedures were subsequently followed. We have today (Monday) served a gross misconduct notice on the Chief Constable to advise him his conduct is subject to investigation. Such a notice does not necessarily mean any disciplinary proceedings will follow. Our investigation is ongoing.”
Mr Hansen joined the constabulary as deputy chief constable in May 2013 and was appointed as the top officer in May 2017, becoming the 16th person to hold this position in the Constabulary’s history.
Before his tenure with the force, Mr Hansen was educated in England, Canada, and Ireland, eventually earning a degree in geography and geology.
His career began after serving with the Special Air Service’s A Squadron (V), when he joined Avon and Somerset Constabulary to police South Gloucestershire over 34 years ago. His varied roles have included patrol inspector in central Bristol and District Commander for Bath and North East Somerset.
Additionally, Mr Hansen has led the force surveillance team and worked on reviewing child protection arrangements. He also played a pivotal role in establishing a ten-year joint venture company that provides enabling services to three public sector organisations, including the Constabulary.
As a seasoned investigator, he has probed deaths in two other forces and played pivotal roles in serious and organised crime investigations. Mr Hansen also boasts experience as a strategic firearms commander, having commanded over 300 firearms incidents and served as a national assessor for this specialism for numerous years.
Since 1998, Mr Hansen has been a hostage negotiator and for several years was the South West Regional Co-ordinator for negotiating. He held the position of course director for the regional negotiators course and in October 2003, trained negotiators within the Greek police service ahead of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
In 2010, he founded the International Police Response Cadre (IPRC), a team of specially trained police officers who work alongside the military and can be deployed at short notice to high threat locations worldwide. This has included aiding in supporting British overseas territories affected by hurricanes and the ensuing humanitarian crises.
Mr Hansen has also served as the Chief Police Advisor to the military Joint Task Force Headquarters (JTFHQ) and been part of a multi-agency team of non-military advisors working closely with colleagues from the Stabilisation Unit, Department for International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and various volunteer and charitable groups such as the International Red Cross.
His missions to date have included a stint in Somalia, where he was instrumental in shaping the next phase of the United Nations (AMISOM) strategy to advance security across the wider Horn of Africa and the Masai Mara. In Kenya, Hansen collaborated with Kenyan and Ugandan Rapid Deployment Forces on critical initiatives such as flood relief, food aid programmes, malaria control, and efforts to mitigate refugee numbers.
He played a pivotal role in the swift establishment of a UK police squad that supported the British military in the evacuation of UK nationals from Libya amid the fall of the government. Since 2012, Rod Hansen has taken on the mantle of National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for mounted units.
Previously, he oversaw the national strategy for police dogs and now takes charge of aviation policy, managing helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and drone usage by the police. As an accomplished Shotokan Karate practitioner, Rod continues to train and imparts his knowledge as a fifth Dan instructor at a police club.
As Chief Constable of Gloucestershire, he pioneered a revolutionary leadership and welfare scheme, which has reportedly revolutionised the force’s work culture, with national scholars heralding the results as “astonishing”.
In 2018, Rod initiated a collaborative project leading to the development of a programme dedicated to fostering self-leadership among youth in the county. The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has just announced Hansen’s suspension.