PCC welcomes new Chief Constable
01.09.25 - Merseyside
The Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner has today welcomed Rob Carden on his first day as Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.
Rob, who was previously Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary, has taken up the role after Serena Kennedy KPM made the decision to retire.
Emily Spurrell announced in April that Rob, who has more than 30years experience in policing, mostly spent in Merseyside, was her preferred candidate for the job.
This decision was unanimously approved by the Police and Crime Panel in May, after they reviewed the recruitment and selection process, assessed the supporting documents and interviewed Rob in person.
Emily said: “I’m pleased to warmly welcome Rob Carden as he steps into the role of Chief Constable of Merseyside Police today.
“Rob brings a wealth of experience to the role, with more than 30 years of service, including 20 spent here serving the people of Merseyside, in wide ranging, high-level roles. This has included leading the force response to some very high-profile, challenging incidents, including managing the force response to the Covid pandemic, the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting, and the terrorist incident at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
“Rob followed in his father’s footsteps when he joined Merseyside Police in 1992. He left the force as a highly respected Assistant Chief Constable joining Cumbria Constabulary as their Deputy Chief Constable before being appointed Chief Constable.
“All of this means he has a clear understanding of the challenges facing policing, as well as in-depth knowledge of the complexities of policing our unique region, so he is in the perfect position to hit the ground running as he takes over the helm from Serena Kennedy KPM.
“Throughout the interview process, Rob clearly demonstrated a vision for the organisation, clear strategic leadership, excellent operational insight and a passion for delivering the highest standards of policing for our communities.
“I look forward to working with Rob to deliver on the priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan to make our brilliant region an even safer, strong place to live, work and visit.”
Rob said: "It is an absolute privilege and honour to be taking up this position, to be returning to a force where I have spent most of my career, joining back in 1992.
"My ambition for you, and for Merseyside Police, is to have the best police force in the country.
"One of my main priorities is the development of neighbourhood policing. I know the force has some really exciting plans, and it's the area that is really going to help us to build trust and confidence in policing.
"As the son of a police officer and a nurse, I understand the role of public servants. I understand my position in the pecking order. It's communities first, with the Chief Constable underneath. I am completely committed to developing a police service that you want, that you trust and you deserve."
During his time with Merseyside Police, Chief Constable Carden was Gold Commander for the successful repatriation of British nationals in Wuhan Province, China, to Arrowe Park Hospital, Merseyside. He went on to manage Merseyside’s response to all phases of the COVID pandemic and subsequently received a national commendation for outstanding leadership and his overall contribution to the policing response to Covid.
Chief Constable Carden also led the largest security operation hosted in Merseyside at the time, the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting and he was Gold Command for the Grand National on four occasions. He has also been a Counter Terrorism Commander and he was the strategic firearms commander for the high-level policing operation that followed the terrorist incident at the Women’s Hospital in Liverpool.
Whilst the majority of Chief Constable Carden’s career has been spent in Merseyside, he has also worked for Sussex Police, policing the 2002 Fatboy Slim concert which was attended by more than 250,000 people on Brighton beach.
Chief Constable Carden currently Chairs the National Police Chief’s Council’s national Digital, Data and Technology Coordination Committee, which is in place to ensure the best use of technology and data to maximise public safety, security, and value for money. He has also been the national lead for Response Policing and Dangerous Dogs and was a member of the National Wellbeing Board and the Digital Public Contact Board.
During his time at Cumbria Constabulary, the force was recognised as one of the top performing in the country and was graded as outstanding for ‘Building, supporting and protecting the workforce’ by independent inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
Rob, who is married with three sons, has two Masters degrees, the second of which was from Cambridge University, where he won the Victor Lissack Award from the Institute of Criminology.
He is appointed for a period of five years.