Northamptonshire Police celebrates its annual Long Service and Force Awards

Northamptonshire Police celebrated its annual long service and force awards at Wootton Hall HQ in Northampton.
Some of the award winners after collecting their awards at last night's ceremony. Left to right:Rob Welsford, David Cook, Richard Proctor, Polly Scott and Andrew EmbertonSome of the award winners after collecting their awards at last night's ceremony. Left to right:Rob Welsford, David Cook, Richard Proctor, Polly Scott and Andrew Emberton
Some of the award winners after collecting their awards at last night's ceremony. Left to right:Rob Welsford, David Cook, Richard Proctor, Polly Scott and Andrew Emberton

At the event - yesterday evening (Wednesday, June 13) - serving officers and staff were recognised for the 20 years’ service they have given to the police service.

The Force’s annual awards were also presented, including Police Officer of the Year, Police Staff Member of the Year, Special Constable of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, PCSO of the Year, Cadet of the Year and the Police Federation Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Chief Constable Simon Edens said: “I am delighted to have this opportunity each year to thank our officers and staff for the excellent work they do every day to protect people from harm in Northamptonshire.

“All of those awarded for either their length of service or for outstanding achievement have made a significant contribution to protecting our communities from harm and to policing in our county. It is a privilege to be able to present these awards and celebrate their achievements and successes.”

The following officers and staff were presented with awards:

Student Officer of the Year 2018 – Constable Polly Scott

Polly has been recognised for her positive attitude and high level of competence, which has enabled her to shine as a student constable. She has done an excellent job in dealing with and managing a number of high risk and difficult incidents over the past 12 months, and her caring and professional nature has supported and given confidence to victims.

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No matter how difficult or emotional a situation is, Polly always remains professional and gives families the very best level of service. Polly also gives up her time to volunteer at homeless shelters and other charity work. She is a credit to Northamptonshire Police and is a very well deserved winner of the Student Officer of the Year award.

Police Staff Member of the Year 2018 – David Cook

David is an unsung hero of the Force and a worthy recipient of the Police Staff Member of the Year Award. As well as his full-time role in the Force Control Room, David runs the Northamptonshire Police Sports and Social Club, manages the Force lottery and also leads an area of work as part of the Force’s wellbeing programme.

David was instrumental in setting up the lottery, which has now been running for over a year and has raised nearly £25,000 for the sports club and wellbeing projects. These areas have had a hugely positive effect on many people and David’s dedication to them, in own time on a voluntary basis, is to be commended, and he is recognised for his enthusiasm and commitment.

Hughes Cup for PCSO of the Year 2018 – PCSO Andrew Emberton

Andrew is recognised for his dedication and commitment, and for the many times he has gone the extra mile for the public and his colleagues, acting with bravery, compassion and humanity.

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He always wants to help and looks where he can make a positive impact within the community. Andrew’s approach to his role, his style and contribution to the wellbeing of the public he serves truly represents the Force’s values and this award acknowledges his outstanding contribution to Northamptonshire as a Police Community Support Officer.

Cadet of the Year 2018 – Cadet George Lacovides

George has been an integral and dedicated member of Northamptonshire Emergency Services Cadets in Daventry for a number of years. He has grown in confidence during his time as a cadet and is recognised for his team work, resilience and natural leadership skills.

George attends all cadet meetings and every event he can. He acts with professionalism and integrity when interacting with other cadets and members of the public. George raises the bar on what an excellent cadet should be and inspires others to perform better and better. His knowledge and experience is second to none and many people have commented on his professionalism and helpfulness.

Volunteers of the Year 2018 – Bruce Camfield, Loraine Holdcroft and Roy Newman

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Bruce, Loraine and Roy have been volunteer watch liaison contacts, working together as a team for the past four years. They are responsible for sending out messages to different Watch members across the Wellingborough district. They have embraced the Force’s new Neighbourhood Alert messaging system and have organised a rota between themselves to ensure the messages are consistent and sent out on a regular basis.

Their confidence in using system means they have been able to assist their police colleagues when required. They are invaluable to the Wellingborough Neighbourhood Policing Team and the award acknowledges their commitment, dedication and contribution to supporting policing in Northamptonshire.

Hostage Negotiator Five Year Shield – Julie McGreavey and Sergeant Nickie Deeks

Nickie joined the hostage negotiator cadre in 2010 and quickly established herself as a key member of the team, supporting her colleagues in the resolution of a variety of serious incidents. Now a senior member of the team, she has been involved in numerous call outs, all of which have been in addition to her day-to-day role.

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Her commitment has been second to none and there is no doubt she has been responsible for saving many lives, as well as helping to resolve numerous high risk incidents. This award recognises Nickie’s dedication and her calm, professional and determined attitude, which has made a huge contribution to Northamptonshire Police’s mission to protect people from harm.

Police Federation Lifetime Achievement 2018 – Constable Rob Welsford

Rob joined Northamptonshire Police in August 1990, working on the frontline as a town centre officer and a response officer in Northampton. He later moved into the training department and for many years was the Force’s chief unarmed defensive tactics instructor.

Over the years, his training methods and development of officer safety training, as well as his contribution to the development of protective equipment such as Body Worn Video, TASER and PAVA, has been immense. Rob’s operational training delivery has undoubtedly kept many frontline officers safer in performing their operational duties and he is recognised for his enthusiasm and dedication to his training role. The award also recognised his work to help shape organisational policy and practice far beyond the normal level of responsibility of a constable.

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Commandant’s Cup for Special Constable of the Year – Special Constable Richard Proctor

Richard is recognised for his exceptional leadership, enthusiasm and for utilising the skills of his team of volunteer officers as part of an operation to tackle a series of burglaries.

He took ownership for organising the Specials patrol plan, and between January and April, his keenness to get them involved resulted in more than 800 hours of patrols. Richard’s commitment and enthusiasm has resulted in even more police patrols and the positive impact on the community cannot be underestimated. This award acknowledges his dedication, which has surpassed all expectations.

Chief Constable’s Commendations

Inspector Carl Sturman has been part of the Northamptonshire Police hostage negotiator team since 2008. The responsibilities of a hostage negotiator are significant and require officers to be on-call for extended periods, 24-hours a day. Carl has been involved in a wide range of incidents and has amassed more than 730 days on call, which is in addition to his core role. Overall, over the past 10 years, Carl has made a major contribution to saving lives within Northamptonshire years and as a result is awarded a Chief Constable’s Commendation.

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Chief Constable’s Commendations were also awarded to three members of the public who rescued a man from a fire in a block of flats in Rushden, in June 2017. Matthew Coombes, Thomas Pederson and another man, after seeing a man at a window shouting for help, went into the building, forced their way into the smoke-filled flat and pulled him to safety. They are commended for their actions.