Young became Chief Constable of Hertfordshire Constabulary in 1944 (but released from the army only in April 1945). He was in charge of 515 officers at a salary of £1,290. Still aged only 38, he had twenty-one years of experience of small, medium and large city and borough forces. From Hertfordshire, he set the pace in revitalising county police forces, pushing his police authority to spend a lot of money to improve officers' pay and conditions.