Former Brighton police chief Nev Kemp has spoken about his surprise at being included in the latest honours list.
The Brighton-born officer has been awarded the Queen’s Police Medal, an honour that he described as humbling.
Mr Kemp is assistant chief constable of Surrey. He took up his current post after serving with Sussex Police for 22 years, having joined the force in 1995.
Before his move to Surrey, he spent three years as the divisional commander of Brighton and Hove as a chief superintendent.
Mr Kemp, 45, had previously served as a sergeant, inspector and detective chief inspector in Brighton.
He went to Rottingdean Primary School and Longhill High School and was a member of the 23rd St Margaret’s Scouts in Rottingdean.
He said: “It was a huge surprise to receive a QPM. In fact I had to sit down when I began reading the letter.
“While policing is tough at times, it is also a privilege and a job I love because of the incredible people I work with. That makes it all the more humbling to have received this medal.”
Mr Kemp is responsible for local policing in his role as assistant chief constable of Surrey.
In Sussex his roles included head of crime and counter-terrorism operations at Gatwick, head of crime investigations in Brighton and Hove and head of the Sussex Police Protecting Vulnerable People Branch.
He worked in a number of different areas and departments with roles in both uniform and as a detective.
