Superintendent Ross Campbell of Warwickshire Police has been elected to the position of Disability Inclusion Representative for the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA).
The role is one of five inclusion representatives within the PSA’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which is the association’s policy-making body, and ensure that issues facing members from under-represented groups, are brought to the association to inform and support its work. Ross takes over from Paul Burrows who has been an influential supporter to the PSA in this position for the last two years.
Ross joined Warwickshire Police in 2000 and has undertaken various roles during his 24 years’ service. He has been a superintendent for the last four years.
For 15 years he was an authorised firearms officer is a strategic firearms commander. Ross has been NPCC staff officer to the National Vetting Portfolio for 10 years, and is the national tactical lead for vetting, currently leading the response to the recommendations of the Angiolini Inquiry and national vetting reform.
Ross left School with no qualifications and undiagnosed dyslexia and ADHD. Diagnosed in 2014, he has been an advocate for neurodiversity in policing, is a member of the NPCC Neurodiversity Working Group, has influenced local and national policy and practice change and is a committee member of the newly founded Police National Dyslexia Association. In 2024 he received a national award for his work in disability as an ‘Inspiration to others’ by the Disabled Police Association.
To mark National Neurodiversity Awareness Week, Ross has written a short blog on his hopes for his time in the role and his observations on the challenges and opportunities facing the Service when it comes to disability and neurodivergence in policing.
“As I proudly step into the role of disability representative for the Police Superintendents’ Association, I want to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to Paul Burrows for his dedication and hard work in this position and for those who voted me into the position. The foundation Paul has built provides an invaluable platform from which to continue advocating for positive change within policing.
It seems particularly fitting that this new chapter begins during Neurodiversity Awareness Week – a time when we collectively recognise and celebrate the unique perspectives and contributions that neurodivergent individuals bring to our profession and society. As someone diagnosed with dyslexia and currently navigating an ADHD assessment, I understand firsthand both the challenges and the tremendous strengths that come with neurodiversity.
“In this role, I am committed to being both a passionate advocate for and proactive voice of disability across all ranks and roles within policing, but particularly the superintending ranks. My journey – from leaving school without qualifications to achieving a master's degree and pursuing a PhD – has shown me that with the right support and understanding, perceived barriers can become stepping stones to success.
“Yet I want to acknowledge something important: even when people look to you to be the steady ship, the rock, the voyager, the knowledge of all things – sometimes life can be overwhelming. Balancing a full time job leading national vetting reform, navigating personal challenges, and now taking on this new responsibility means that I too rely on effective coping mechanisms and the support of those around me.
“This brings me to something I'm particularly passionate about: the transformative potential of technology to support neurodivergent individuals. While policing has historically had a complex relationship with technological innovation, we are making progress. However, tools like artificial intelligence are still often viewed with suspicion rather than recognised for their supportive capabilities.
“Let me share a personal example. This week is extraordinarily demanding – I'm leading a challenging reform programme around police vetting, delivering the most complex strategic presentation of my career, traveling to Cardiff for my first National Executive Committee meeting in this new inclusion role, all while wanting to meaningfully acknowledge Neurodiversity Awareness Week. To manage this effectively, I've embraced AI as a tool to help draft this very communication – demonstrating how technology can help us work smarter, not harder. This isn’t to say I’ve simply let an AI algorithm create this for me and claimed it as my own. Rather, I’ve explained what I want to achieve, considered its outputs, and re-written it to be mine. The difference this can make to someone with dyslexia shouldn’t be underestimated.
“The future of inclusive policing must embrace these technological advances that can level the playing field for neurodivergent officers and staff. Whether it's text-to-speech software, organisational apps, or AI-assisted drafting tools, these technologies aren't replacing human capability – they're enhancing it and removing unnecessary barriers.
“I look forward to working in this role in the months ahead, bringing both my professional experience and lived reality to this important position. Together, we can create a police service that truly values the power of different thinking and harnesses the strengths that come with diversity of thought and experience.
“And perhaps we can start by recognising the power of technology to help us all live our busy lives a little easier – regardless of how our brains are wired. And most importantly. Let’s not forget people. A big thank you to each and every one of you who has a touch point with neurodiversity and disability every day - whether it’s neurodivergence or a disability you have, or if you are a carer, supporter, advocate or just a friend. Because without you, things would be a lot more difficult.”
