Chief Constable Awards celebrate bravery and commitment of officers

The brightest and best from Leicestershire Police gathered last night (Thursday 18 May) to celebrate and recognise the outstanding work by officers, staff and volunteers for the annual Chief Constable Awards at Athena, Leicester.

Officers were joined by members of the public and those from other organisations who have shown incredible strength and bravery in emergency situations, helping people at their worst, most vulnerable times and supporting our team when it was really needed to save a life or prevent serious harm.

Also celebrated were officers receiving Crown Court Commendations by High Court Judges, exemplary Neighbourhood Officers and Dedicated Neighbourhood Teams, force sports teams, innovators and volunteers, showcasing the incredible work done every day across all areas of the force. Officers and staff were also recipients of diversity awards, wellbeing awards, awards for work in the control room and a lifetime achievement award.

The awards were compared by Chief Constable Rob Nixon and Deputy Chief Constable David Sandall, and attended by the Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews. Also, in attendance were Mike Kapur, the Lord Lieutenant for Leicestershire representing His Majesty the King, the High Sheriff of Leicestershire, Henrietta Chubb and the High Sheriff of Rutland, Geraldine Feehally.

PCs Ethan Lang and George Proctor received a bravery award, along with Colin Lomas, a member of the public who intervened when he saw what was happening – a violent assault on a man in the Saffron Lane area of the city. Colin and another brave member of the public convinced the perpetrator to leave the scene and called 999.

PC Lang and PC Proctor attended, helping the victim, before going after the offender. When carrying out the arrest, they were assaulted resulting in broken bones and a bruised retina.

A number of officers received Crown Court Commendations for their dedication and hard work over several months – and in some cases, years – in getting a case ready for court, for the evidence to be presented, in most cases, before a jury.

From murder investigations, protracted drug conspiracy cases and kidnap, to convicting a sex offender, these cases have been recognised as an example of great investigative work, leading to convictions and lengthy sentences for defendants.

A number of Royal Humane Society awards were given – awards given to those who perform acts of bravery in the saving of human life and for the restoration of life by resuscitation. 

Incidents include officers and PCSOs administering CPR while off and on duty – some who had had suspected medical episodes, some who had suffered catastrophic injuries following a fall from a building and in some cases also managing to secure evidence and reassure onlookers.

Each year, the force looks for the outstanding work of teams and officers across the force, recognising when people have pulled together and gone above and beyond in their role, working tirelessly.

This years’ Dedicated Neighbourhood Team of the Year was Hinckley Town beat team – made up of, amongst others: Sgt James Cross and PCs Darren Measures and Christopher Guttridge, who work to make sure the town is safe to visit, building key relationships with the borough council, Pub Watch and Purple Flag schemes.

PC Karl Turner was the winner of the Dedicated Neighbourhood Officer of the Year award, with PC John Merola scooping the highly commended award.

PC Turner, based in the city centre, is always in the heart of the community, targeting those that cause the most harm – arresting 22 people in the first month of 2022 alone.

PC Merola, based in the Newfoundpool and Fosse area, has built strong links with the community who don’t rely on digital communication or the news, linking in and making sure they’re aware of what’s going on.

G shift at Keyham Lane were the winners of the Neighbourhood Policing Team of the Year, made up of: Sgt Waheed Nagdi and PCs Christian Francis-Wint, Jaypal Darbar, Adam Hurst, Ethan Willoughby and Eliot Bates. 

The small shift attends a high number of incidents, regularly staying on to complete operations where they target people causing harm and to safeguard the vulnerable.

The PCSO of the Year award was given to Darren Streeton, with Karen Reed and Nadeem Ikram being highly commended.

PCSO Stretton – ‘the heart and soul of policing in Burbage’ – is a shining example of a PCSO and works hard to ensure he knows everything happening on his beat and is aware of the recurring issues affecting his community, sharing intelligence with local officers where appropriate.

A number of volunteer groups were also recognised for their efforts. The Special Officer of the Year award was awarded to the Op Adventurer team, a team of volunteer officers and staff who support, train and work with the cadets and taking them on residential trips.

The Fatal 4 team were highly commended. The team carry out up to 20 road safety operations each year making the roads of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland safer.

The canteen team were commended for the exceptional consistent support given to feed our operational teams and their flexibility and commitment to support critical incidents and live operations at short notice.

Sarah Brockie from our MOSOVO team was highly commended for her investigation and offender management and George White from the Child Abuse Investigation Unit won the ‘Tim Burton’ Investigator of the year award for her investigations, victim care and ability to secure evidence from children and for developing the training and knowledge in supporting schools and safeguarding partners.

Chief Constable Rob Nixon said: "Every day I see the brilliant work undertaken to prevent and detect crime, keep communities safe, protect the vulnerable and to save lives.

"The collective endeavours of volunteers, officers, staff and members of the public showed the real strength of the team approach in Leicestershire Police, and it was an honour to recognise the outstanding work, achievements and bravery."