Three Rivers’ new police chief inspector has said she is ready to find and tackle “fundamental issues” that affect the district’s communities.

Alex Warwick, a mother of three, has been appointed as the new chief inspector of Three Rivers and began work at the start of this month in line with the new year.

Ch Insp Warwick brings with her nearly three decades of policing experience, including investigating serious crimes.

She takes the reins from the borough’s former Chief Inspector Adam Such, who is now leading the Constabulary’s Operations and Events team.

The new chief inspector, who enjoys walking, reading and playing tennis in her spare time, said: “In the coming weeks and months I will be identifying the fundamental issues that affect the communities that call Three Rivers home and working with my teams to build a strategy to prioritise and tackle these concerns head on.

“I believe that all our residents have the right to live unaffected by crime and anti-social behaviour and my team will continue to do their utmost to improve the lives of those living in Three Rivers. We are here to protect people from harm, and that is my motivation.”

Watford Observer: Chief Inspector Alex WarwickChief Inspector Alex Warwick

Ch Insp Warwick joined Hertfordshire Constabulary in 1992, starting out in Stevenage as a Constable in the Intervention Team.

She then worked in the former Criminal Investigation Department (now the Watford Local Crime Unit) before moving to the Major Crime Unit (MCU) in 2002, where she worked for a decade in a number of roles.

These included being a Family Liaison Officer, where she supported murder victims’ families during police investigations, and a Disclosure Officer which saw her working with the Crown Prosecution Service to examine all unused material gathered in major crime cases and ensure it was recorded accurately.

During her time with the MCU, Ch Insp Warwick became a mother to her three daughters who are now aged 13, 16 and 17.

While juggling the demands of being a parent she investigated the most serious crimes, with one of the most notable being the death of Jeffrey Howe in 2009 – dubbed ‘The Jigsaw Murder’.

Since then, she has worked on both the Hertsmere and St Albans local crime units and was promoted to Detective Inspector in 2017.

After three years in her DI role, Alex took up a temporary Chief Inspector role in Broxbourne for three months before being promoted to her new role in Three Rivers in late 2020.

Ch Insp Warwick said: “I bring with me nearly three decades of policing experience and in my new role as Chief Inspector for Three Rivers, I will be leading three Safer Neighbourhood Teams, the Local Crime Unit, the Operation Scorpion team and the Intervention teams that respond to 999 calls.

“I never imagined I would be taking up this post during a national lockdown but I am thoroughly looking forward to this new challenge, and partnership working will form the cornerstone of my role. This means I will be liaising closely with my partners at Three Rivers District Council and other local organisations, so we can all continue working towards our collective goal of achieving a safer district in which people can live, learn, work and visit."