Top East Herts police job for Chief Inspector Matt Barton who grew up in Bishop’s Stortford

A tactical firearms commander and hostage negotiator who grew up in Bishop’s Stortford is the new chief inspector for East Herts police.

Matt Barton took over from Chief Inspector David Cooke, who has a new role with the force, earlier this week.

Mr Barton joined Hertfordshire Constabulary 11 years ago. His previous roles include working in response and neighbourhood policing teams and acting as incident manager in the force communications room.

Most recently, he was senior staff officer to the chief constable and supported the induction of the county’s new top cop, Andy Prophet.

In addition to these core roles, Mr Barton is one of the constabulary’s tactical firearms commanders and a nationally accredited hostage and crisis negotiator.

He said: “As an East Herts resident, I am passionate about the area. I grew up in Bishop’s Stortford and I have seen first hand how the town has evolved over the years.

“This evolution has also been seen across many towns in East Herts and it is important that policing evolves in tandem. I am looking forward to working with the community and supporting the excellent team of officers and staff dedicated to policing East Herts.

“As the chief inspector responsible for the district, I will be focused on supporting my teams to catch criminals and solve crime. We will work proactively with the community, being responsive to feedback, and ensure we are visible and present to keep all communities within East Herts safe.

“If you have any questions or concerns about policing in your local area, I encourage you to reach out to my team and me directly so we can work with you to address them.

“I am excited to be fulfilling this important role; we are fortunate to have such an excellent group of officers and staff in East Herts, and I look forward to both working with them and supporting the excellent work they do 24/7 to keep the community safe.”