Stevenage Police have recently welcomed a new Chief Inspector to the helm. Sarah Gilbertson succeeds Graham Walsingham who has moved to a new detective-based role.

Sarah started her policing journey as a volunteer police officer in Hertfordshire's Special Constabulary, based in Hertford. However, it wasn't very long before she was signing up to become a regular officer and in January 2006 she joined the intervention team in Hatfield. 

After a short attachment to the Case Intervention Team, Sarah developed an interest in detective work and was posted to the Borehamwood Local Crime Unit where her caseload included investigating stalking, serious assault and burglary offences.  

Sarah went back into uniform to become an Acting Sergeant in Bishop's Stortford, before taking up a Detective Sergeant role in North Herts. There, she worked on some high profile cases including the tragic murders of Helen Bailey and Bill Taylor respectively, where she earned a commendation for her leadership skills.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic Sarah was promoted to Acting Detective Inspector and tasked with setting up a new case file preparation unit. Despite the associated challenges, within six months the constabulary had become the top performing force in the country for file quality.

Sarah then transferred to the Safeguarding Command as the Detective Inspector for Safeguarding Adults from Abuse (SAFA) and Mental Health. Here, she worked very closely with the Herts Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to deliver better long term solutions for those in crisis.

After having spent a long time away from local policing, Sarah describes becoming Chief Inspector for Stevenage as like 'coming home'.

"I am excited about the challenges of running a busy area and providing the public with the best possible service," she explained. 

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"As the Chief Inspector responsible for the town, I will be focused on supporting my teams to catch criminals and solve crime. I want my officers to put victims at the heart of everything they do and treat them the way they would want their loved ones treated, should they ever need the police. 

"We will continue to work proactively with the community, listening to feedback, and ensuring we are visible and responsive to keep everyone in Stevenage safe.

"I have an excellent team in Stevenage and my officers are keen and enthusiastic. Policing is a really hard job and public support makes all the difference."