On 1 February 2016 Andy Marsh returned as Chief Constable to his home force of Avon and Somerset, where he first joined as a new recruit in 1987.
Andy built his early leadership skills here, working in uniform in Bath, Bristol and Somerset and in various operational and detective roles. As a Detective Sgt he helped to re-shape the force’s approach to the way major crime was investigated. He served as police Commander for South Bristol and latterly Somerset East for a period of 5 years between 2001 and 2006 before moving to Wiltshire as Assistant Chief Constable.
He returned to Avon and Somerset as an Assistant Chief Constable in 2009 and was responsible for creating the major crime and specialist operations service which led to the implementation of Brunel – now a tri-force major crime investigation collaboration with Wiltshire and Gloucestershire – and Zephyr – now a regional organised crime unit working across all five forces in the south west.
In 2010 Andy joined Hampshire Police as Deputy Chief Constable. Leading on change and performance for Hampshire, he implemented transformation securing £55million of savings and delivering top quartile performance in a force that is recognised as one of the best value for money nationally.
In February 2013 he was appointed Chief Constable of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. In his three years as chief he led the implementation of a new operating model built around local partnerships, collaboration with Thames Valley Police on a range of services and back office services delivered jointly with Hampshire County Council and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. The partnership was subsequently consolidated and extended to provide services for Oxfordshire County Council. The changes, which saved a further £25 million, established Hampshire as the 5th lowest cost force in the Country and one that consistently secured some of the highest level of public confidence.
Throughout his career, Andy Marsh has been determined to create an environment at work where officers, police staff and volunteers can flourish. Fairness, equity, openness and inclusivity underpin his approach to leadership. These are critical to building trust within communities, a key challenge for policing at a time when greater transparency and accountability are rightly being demanded by the public.
In January 2014 Andy was appointed national policing lead for Body Worn Video – these high spec cameras enable police officers to build trust with the public and a more accurate and verifiable digital record of evidence. Use of this technology in Hampshire was not only cutting edge within Britain but on a par with anywhere else in the world.
Andy is married with two daughters and enjoys fly fishing, running and rowing. Honing his skills off the south coast paid off when bringing home a bronze medal from the World Fire and Police Games in 2013.