26/06/2026
👋 👮‍♀️ A new inspector has been appointed to lead on neighbourhood policing for East Herts.
Inspector Karen Hutchinson, an experienced police officer, has taken the reins from the now promoted Chief Inspector Mark Collins, who has moved to a lead role within the neighbourhood policing model.
She will oversee neighbourhood policing across Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth, Hertford, Ware and Stansted Abbotts, as well as the wider East Herts rural area, while working closely with four local area neighbourhood sergeants to support officers on the ground.
She said: “I’m really proud to be taking on this role in East Herts. It’s a fantastic district and I’m looking forward to working with the teams and communities to build on the strong foundations already in place.”
Karen brings with her over 20 years’ of experience within policing. From joining Hertfordshire Constabulary as a police constable in 2005, she has progressed through the ranks, as sergeant where she was based in North Herts, before moving to Hatfield where she was promoted to Response Inspector. Most of her career has been in response policing, dealing with 999 and emergency calls, and having had early ambitions to become a detective, said: “After making my first arrest on day one, I knew I’d found my favourite area of policing…on the ground.”
Karen arrives as the neighbourhood inspector with not only standard policing experience but a wide range of specialist qualifications. She is a Workplace Federation representative, welfare, and mental health support officer, nationally trained operational debrief facilitator, and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) officer, as well as leading multi-agency collaboration work with police, fire and ambulance services.
Speaking about the scale of the role, she said: “East Herts is a large and diverse area, but it’s an exciting challenge. Each community has its own needs and it’s important we stay visible and connected across all of them.”
Outside of work, Karen lives at home as a successful single mother with her two children and has a strong passion for fitness. She regularly goes to the gym, is a keen runner, and takes part in long-distance events. She also plays rugby and enjoys paddleboarding. “I don’t really stop! I love keeping active and pushing myself with new challenges,” she said.
Karen is hoping to build on the success that her predecessor brought to the district and wants to continue the strong engagement with communities, while also reaching those who may not usually have a voice in the community. “I want to hear from the lesser-heard communities and understand what matters most to them. If people tell us what’s affecting them, we can work together to make things better.”
To support this, members of the public are being invited to share their views through a short online survey which will help shape neighbourhood policing activity across the borough.
Speaking about her vision for the district, she added: “My focus is on being proactive, visible, and connected to our communities. I want us to be one step ahead of issues where we can, and to make sure people feel heard, supported, and safe in East Herts.”
