Martin Brunning

Martin joined Cambridgeshire Police as a (volunteer) Special Constable in 1993, before joining as a ‘regular' officer in August 1995. He was promoted to Chief Police Officer in Cambridgeshire Police in 2024 following completion of the statutory Executive Leadership Program. Martin retired from service on the 13th June 2026.

Martin has spent many years working across the country in different roles, and for the last 20 years, a detective specialising in criminal investigations, working extensively within the strategic collaboration between Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) police forces. Martin has spent many years in senior detective roles, in Public Protection (Rape and Sexual Offences), Director of Intelligence, and the force’s most senior detective role ‘Head of Crime Investigations’.

Martin was latterly the Head of Major Crime across three police forces, overseeing the investigation of the most complex and serious crime, including murder, stranger rape, kidnap and product contamination and he has led some of the most complex murder investigations in recent times in the force. Martin led the investigation into serial killer Joanne Dennehy, who killed three men in Peterborough in 2013, and attempted to murder 2 other men in Herefordshire – a spree of horrific crimes over 10 days.

Martin led the transformation of the BCH Professional Standards Department (US Internal Affairs equivalent) between 2021 and 2024, investigating police officer misconduct at a time of great public unrest at growing officer misconduct frequency.

On his promotion to ACC, Martin said ‘Having dedicated over 30 years to policing the county, there is no greater privilege than to take command of the front-line response to criminality in my home county. Working together with the forces’ many partner agencies, I am committed to ensuring that my leadership ensures the safety of the public, with compassionate officers and staff, delivering the best service we can deliver when people really need the police’.

As the Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) for Local Policing, Martin commands the policing response within the Force Control Room managing 999 and 101 contact, Emergency Response Teams and Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Custody management and Criminal Justice Teams. Taken together, a budget of £90 Million and 1500 officers and staff.

Martin has always prioritised the wellbeing of his staff and is Chair of the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) Wellbeing of Investigators subgroup – a partnership of policing colleagues, academics, and other sector representatives, using research and best practice to support investigator resilience and wellbeing across the UK .

As a career detective there is no more powerful and moving experience than to sit next to the victim and bereaved families in a murder or rape investigation and to hear the jury foreman return a guilty verdict. Potentially years of work converge on that one moment in time.

The motivation to remain helping families to find their loved ones is derived from a whole career in public service. Locate International is an important charity whose work enables me to keep giving back and share my investigative experience with a range of volunteers who share the values and mission of Locate International.