THE NEW chief of police in Dudley is a former special constable who has risen through the ranks.

Mum-of-two Kim Madill has served with West Midlands Police for 23 years.

She has taken on her "dream job" as the new Chief Superintendent of Dudley after Sally Bourner retired.

Having decided she wanted to be a police officer aged ten, Kim was a member of her school's junior crime prevention panel and became a special constable in Staffordshire while at university.

Kim, who has moved to Dudley from Walsall police, said she's delighted on her promotion.

The married mum-of-two said: “This is my dream job, I’m immensely proud of what I do and cannot wait to get to Dudley where I hope to deliver the very best service possible with the teams I have.

“I’m passionate about neighbourhood policing, it’s at the heart of our communities and we can achieve so much when we work together.

"I’ll be initially focusing on getting to know everyone and the area, before looking at how we tackle violence and also addressing public perception around fairness and legitimacy in policing.

“Sally Bourner who recently retired was a much-loved character and a superb leader, I hope to maintain and build on the wonderful relationships she had in place."

Dudley News:

A keen runner Kim, who is married, is training for a half marathon.

She said: "My family are proud and I still have time to enjoy family life.

"I’m also training for the half marathon which I hope to do next year to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease, after my colleague and wonderful leader, Assistant Chief Constable Chris Johnson was diagnosed in 2018."

Taking inspiration from her uncle who joined the cadets when she was growing up, and also from her grandad, who was a local councillor, Kim said she has always had a desire to be involved with communities and make them nicer, safer places to live.

She was posted to Walsall when she first joined as a police constable and on one of her first shifts, on New Year’s Eve, arrested a drunken man.

At Walsall she was part of the senior leadership team, responsible for local policing in the borough.

A big believer in prevention, Kim has worked closely with the violence reduction unit to reduce violence amongst young people, by trying to get to the root of behaviours, such as poverty, abuse and lack of educational opportunities.

She hopes to continue this in Dudley and encouraged others to join the force saying: "It’s a fantastic and varied career and we pay you while you study for a degree!

"We’re hoping for a more diverse workforce which better reflects the communities we serve.

"We’d love to your fresh ideas and enthusiasm, and in return you get to see many interesting areas of the force while you train.

“While my work life is busy, it’s varied and I get to meet the most fantastic people."