Chief Constable Jo Farrell became a
police officer because she wanted to make a difference and has gone on to spend
her career doing exactly that.
Born on The Wirral, Jo Farrell moved to Cambridgeshire at the age
of 15 when her father relocated with his job.
After a degree in Business at Sheffield Polytechnic, in 1991 she
achieved her childhood ambition by joining the police as a constable in
Cambridge, spending five years in the city centre before promotion.
“I was 22 when I joined the police and I absolutely loved it,” she
said. “Although I don’t have any family connection with the police, I had
always wanted to join and I was so proud when I first became an officer.
“As I tell all our new recruits, when we get it right, we can have
such a positive impact on people’s lives – the difference that we can make is
phenomenal”.
In 2002, she joined Northumbria Police, initially as a Chief
Inspector, and was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable, with responsibility
for response and neighbourhood policing as well as the communications
department.
Jo joined Durham Constabulary in November 2016 as Deputy Chief
Constable and has contributed to the force’s continued outstanding performance.
She was appointed Chief Constable of Durham in June 2019, becoming
the first woman to hold the post in the force’s 180-year history.
On a national level, she works on behalf of the National Police
Chiefs Council in the areas of information management, criminal justice file
quality and supports the Crimestoppers charity.
She is married to a retired police officer and has two stepsons
and a daughter. Away from work, Jo enjoys family life, cooking and keeping fit.
The chief constable's annual salary is £156,958.
She does not have any business interests.