[1] The chief constable is Kate Meynell,[2] appointed from nearby Derbyshire Constabulary in December 2022, who followed Craig Guildford, in-post since February 2017.

In 1968 it amalgamated with Nottingham City Police to form Nottinghamshire Combined Constabulary.

[8][9] In June 2006, the force was declared effective and efficient by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) after five years of intense scrutiny.

[10] In 2009, a performance assessment carried out by the government ranked the force's operational area as the third worst in the country.

[11] In March 2010, HMIC rated the force as 'poor' in three reviewed areas of, 'Local Policing', 'Confidence' and 'Protecting from Harm'.

In April 2018, the force restructured under chief constable Craig Guildford, and moved to a local policing model.

This function was previously supplied to the force by a joint venture with Derbyshire Police, the North Midlands Helicopter Support Unit.

In 2020, the air support has also been provided by a fixed-wing aircraft flying out of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

[30] Additionally, after complaints by the victims' families, the force's previous interactions with the offender, Valdo Calocane, are under scrutiny by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.