Outstanding bravery and dedication celebrated at Annual Awards Ceremony

More than 400 people gathered to celebrate and recognise the hard work, dedication and bravery of police officers, staff and volunteers at last night’s Chief Constable Awards Ceremony.

Leicestershire Police held its annual ceremony to mark the outstanding work carried out by its workforce on Thursday 3 October. Awards were collected for acts of bravery, outstanding work, high profile investigations, dog handling work and innovation.

Chief Constable Simon Cole, who opened the ceremony, said: “I could not have been prouder of the people in the room last night and I hope that they are as proud of themselves and their teams as I am of them.

“We heard about people who were brilliant, innovative and brave. They should be very proud of the incredible things they did and continue to do. Leicestershire Police is a fantastic organisation because of the brilliant people who work for it and make a difference every single day.”  

PC Joe Lloyd, the beat officer for Oakham and Barleythorpe scooped ‘Beat Bobby Year of the Year’ in recognition of his work with veterans and nine years of dedicated service to his beat. Joe was nominated by members of the public, one of whom described him as, “a credit to Leicestershire Police and a true asset to Rutland.” 

Also among the winners was PCSO Peter Smith who scooped ‘PCSO of the Year’ for his proactive patrols in the Western Ward and New Parks area. His determination to solve neighbourhood issues led to a closure order being executed at an address where the occupants were dealing drugs and causing problems in an area manly occupied by elderly residents.

His sergeant Adam Hastie said: “Pete is the very definition of what being a PCSO is about and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had ‘blue’ blood flowing through him!”

Lord Willy Bach, Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire, said: “It is always humbling to hear what people, as individuals and teams have done in the line of duty. The event celebrated the achievements of the recipients, all of whose awards were well-deserved, but in a wider sense it highlighted the work of the entire force. 

“It is the determination by so many to go that extra mile to keep our communities safe that makes all the difference. In congratulating those receiving an award, I would also like to thank each and every member of the workforce and our volunteers for their contribution.”

Other awards included ‘Investigator of the Year’ which went to DC Emma Bee who, among many other cases, spent four years investigating a stabbing, which after a truly exceptional and complex investigation saw the offenders receive guilty verdicts.

New this year was an innovation award won by Sergeant Ryan Coleman, who has been the driving force behind a huge roll out and training project to install new software called ‘Pronto’ onto every force Blackberry, enabling officers to access all police systems without having to return to a police building. The project has already saved the force £1 million.

‘F Shift’ based at Keyham Lane took the ‘Patrol and Resolution Team of the Year’ for its exceptional team work, innovative problem solving and compassion for victims. A domestic violence victim recently contacted the force thanking the team for helping her get out of an abusive relationship and being able to start again. She praised the officers for the time they gave to her, ensuring all opportunities were taken to safeguard her and provide advice and guidance, whilst all the time recognising the difficulty of the circumstances she was in.

The team were nominated by Inspector Steve Burge, who said: “Each officer has their own strengths but work together exceptionally well to blend effectively as one unit. They patrol a huge geographic area where teamwork is vital to support their colleagues and to ensure they provide a high level of service to the public.”

Among the many bravery awards was shop keeper, Sibu Kuruvilla who tackled an armed robber in his store in Evington, detaining him until the police arrived. This resulted in the 18-year-old offender being sentenced to four years in prison.

A lifetime achievement award was given out to John Norman after 50 years’ service with the force. He joined as a cadet aged 15 in 1969 before becoming an officer; he progressed to become a Detective Constable and was a Prison Investigations Officer up until his recent retirement.

If these stories have inspired you and you want to join Leicestershire Police, then find out more and apply here: https://www.leics.police.uk/police-forces/leicestershire-police/areas/leicestershire-force-content/careers/join-us/police-officers/ #MakeADifference