SAFE Associate – Nicola (Nicky) Arrowsmith
Former Detective Superintendent, Associate Senior Lecturer, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice consultant and ISO accredited workplace Investigator (Self Employed). Currently employed as a Regional Practice Advisor, NPCC.
Nicky served with the Metropolitan Police Service primarily as a Detective investigating Counter Terrorism, homicide, firearms, and serious sexual assault. She progressed through the ranks, leading strategic and tactical reactive and proactive operations involving threat, risk, and harm. Nicky received recognition for her leadership from both the policing executive and Crown Court Judges. She is an accredited PIP 3 Senior Investigating Officer (College of Policing) and a Tier 3 and 5 Specialist Investigative Interviewer, having led interview teams for numerous Counter Terrorism operations.
Since retiring from policing in 2021, Nicky has pursued a career in Learning & Development and as a Policing Consultant. She has been selected by various law enforcement organisations and government agencies to develop, design, and deliver bespoke accredited training and consultancy according to organisational needs. This includes work with the Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Vietnam Peoples Police Academy, and Department of Health and Social Care. In addition to expertise in serious crime, Nicola is also regarded as a Subject Matter Expert in safeguarding. She currently serves as an advisor to several police forces for the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs Council on the investigation of serious sexual assault (Operation Soteria).
Nicola continues to pursue her own Continuing Professional Development (CPD), having earned a Post Graduate (Merit) in Criminology at Swansea University. She is often consulted on police procedures by media companies and has contributed to a book and a podcast. In 2022, UNICEF commissioned her to contribute as an advisor to ‘Systematic responses to children under the minimum age of criminal responsibility’. Nicola collaborates with various stakeholders such as the Home Office, NHS, and universities seeking her expertise in safeguarding, criminal investigation, and conflict management.