Meet Chief Superintendent Waheed Khan

Chief Superintendent Waheed Khan joined Essex Police in June 2022 as the officer responsible for policing in the South of Essex, including Basildon and Southend, and brought with him a wealth of experience.

He currently resides in London and previously served as an officer for the Metropolitan Police, so he’s no stranger to the hustle and bustle of city life.

He says: “London is urban and certainly has its own challenges, but Essex provides a variety of landscapes and keeps things exciting. Southend, for example, is as busy as it comes and probably closely resembles the hectic London lifestyle. Then you have some places that are the complete opposite, like the picturesque agricultural landscapes, and countryside. It’s always nice to shake it up!”

Chief Superintendent Khan’s background is a testament to his dedication to the public sector. He initially started his career as a barrister before leaving to work in the Civil Service. His ability to speak seven languages held him in good stead when he worked for the Foreign Office, but his curiosity and passion to help others found him working in Counter Terrorism and government policies.

He continues: “I finally connected the dots and realised I’d been dancing around my true love for years: policing! And by this point, I had built a career that looked at policing from many different angles.”

After attesting as a police officer with the Met in 2014, he quickly travelled up the ranks and became a Superintendent. He affirms the variety of roles he undertook gave him a vast array of experience across policing, including specialist commands and frontline policing.

He said: “After a while, I started to feel lost in the crowd and was searching for my next challenge. I heard so many great things from colleagues that had transferred to Essex Police, so I started doing my research and found out that there were so many more opportunities to excel here.

“Living in East London, I happen to live equidistant from the Met and Essex Police, so commuting was never an issue for me. In the end, it was the people who sold it to me, I met with different teams before I joined and got a real sense of a family environment.”

 

“Transferring isn’t as complicated or as long as you might think. HR and my current team were readily available to answer any questions I had and regularly kept in touch. There’s always a natural nervousness to leaving behind what you know, but the anticipation of the new challenges was more exciting!”

When talking about his future with Essex Police, Chief Superintendent Khan speaks with excitement but clear determination: “At Essex Police, we work to  reflect the needs of the communities we serve and catch criminals, whilst also supporting our staff and working collaboratively with partners.  I want to build more engagement with the public so that we can break down barriers and continue to improve trust and confidence.

“Working for Essex Police – a smaller force compared to some – you have the opportunity to demonstrate what you have to offer and work your way up. You can also have the ability to shape and influence the way you work Because of this positive atmosphere, this is where I feel I can make a real difference!”

We value difference at Essex Police.

Like Chief Superintendent Khan, some of our officers and staff have transferred from different forces, travel from different counties and come from varying backgrounds – but we’re all one big family with the same goal: to protect and serve the people of Essex.

Want to make a difference like our other transferees? Start your journey with Essex Police by applying today!