Chief Constable (Temporary) Darren Martland

Darren started his policing career in Merseyside Police in 1990, working in a number of uniform operational roles in both Merseyside Police and Cheshire Constabulary.

Darren returned to Merseyside Police in 2006 and, one of his most memorable and proudest achievements was becoming the Area Commander in the station where he began his career.

He completed the Strategic Command Course in 2013 and became a qualified (gold) public order and Strategic Firearms Commander (SFC), before transferring to Cumbria Constabulary in 2015. Darren was responsible for all aspects of operational policing and took command of the partnership response to the flooding in Cumbria in December 2015 (Storm Desmond).

Darren transferred to Cheshire Constabulary in 2017 and, in 2019, was appointed as the Chief Constable. In addition to his role as the chief constable, he was also the national lead for pre-charge bail, and co-ordinated the policing response to a significant change in legislation. Darren was also responsible for the delivery of a Neighbourhood Policing model that tackles the causes of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour to address the issues that matter most to communities.

After a brief retirement from policing, Darren lectured to undergraduates studying for a BSc. in Professional Policing and returned to Cumbria Constabulary in July 2023 as the Deputy Chief Constable.

Darren is delighted to be offered the opportunity to lead Cumbria Constabulary as the (temp) Chief Constable and will ensure that we are at the forefront of the fight against all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) and enhance our Neighbourhood Policing model to address the issues that affect our communities.