On Friday 15 January 2010 the annual awards ceremony for 2009 was held at Kent Police College. Visiting guests included Chief Officer George Stillwell, Assistant Chief Constable Allyn Thomas and Tom Barns from the Kent Police Authority.

The following awards were presented (follow the links to find out more):

• Special Constabulary Long Service Medal
• Third Bar to the Long Service Medal
• Certificate of Retirement
• Special Constables of the Year 2009
• Leadership and Management Award
• Team Award
• Chief Officer Group Award
• Chief Officer's Awards
  • North Kent
  • West Kent
  • Mid Kent
  • Medway
  • East Kent
  • South Kent
  • Tactical Operations

 

Special Constabulary Long Service Medal

Presented by Mr Tom Barns to

• Special Sergeant Paul Buttler (Medway)
• Special Inspector Ian Cuthbert (South Kent)

The Special Constabulary Long Service Medal was granted under Royal Warrant by Queen Elizabeth II at the Court of St. James on 26 January 1956. It is awarded as a mark of the sovereign’s appreciation of long service by members of the Special Constabulary.

For an officer to be eligible for this award the Chief Constable must make a recommendation to the Home Secretary and certify the following:

'That the officer shall have served as a special constable without pay for a period of not less than nine years or for periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than nine years, and shall be recommended by the Chief Officer of Police as willing and competent to discharge the duties of a special constable and as having performed without pay such duty as a special constable as has been required from him or her by the Chief Officer of Police during that period of such service.'

The Home Secretary on behalf of the sovereign approves the award. 

Those who have been given the medal then wear an additional bar or clasp, with the words 'long service,' on the riband for each ten years of service.

 

Third Bar to the Long Service Medal

Awarded to:

• Chief Commandant George Stillwell (headquarters)
• Special Inspector Derek May (tactical operations)

   

Certificate of Retirement

Awarded to:

Special Constable Kim Kittering

• In recognition of her dedicated service with Kent Special Constabulary from 9 August 1999 to 15 April 2009

Special Constable James O’Halloran

• In recognition of his dedicated service with Kent Special Constabulary from 11 November 1998 to 21 March 2009

Special Sergeant Steven Martin

• In recognition of his 19 years dedicated service with Kent Special Constabulary from 15 December 1989 to 5 May 2009

Special Sergeant Brian Hayes

• In recognition of his dedicated service with the Kent Special Constabulary from 6 July 1988 to 15 April 2009

Special Sergeant Karla Smith

• In recognition of her dedicated service with the Kent Special Constabulary from 14 April 1997 to 25 September 2009

Special Sergeant Paul Hassell

• In recognition of his dedicated service with the Kent Special Constabulary from 8 March 1985 to 8 November 2009

 

Special Constables of the Year 2009

Awarded to:

• Special Sergeant Fraser MacCallum
• Special Sergeant Ian Dearberg

 

Leadership and Management Award

Awarded to Special Sergeant David Wilks.

 

Team Award

Awarded to the Roads Policing Unit at Kent Police.

 

Chief Officer Group Award

 Awarded to Chief Inspector Roscoe Walford.

 

Chief Commandant's Awards

Presented by Mr George Stillwell to:

North Kent

Special Constables Ritchie Harman and Craig Wood

On Saturday 24 January 2009, Special Constables Craig Wood and Ritchie Harman attended a road traffic collision on London Road, Northfleet. They found two vehicles that had been involved in a head-on collision, one of which was on fire and a pedestrian who had suffered serious and what would prove later to be fatal, injuries. 

Craig and Ritchie immediately requested further emergency service help. Craig focussed his efforts on the injured pedestrian while Ritchie dealt with the drivers, a process which was difficult for both with an uneasy crowd gathering.

After the ambulance had taken the pedestrian to hospital, Craig and Ritchie stayed, maintaining a well preserved scene and carried out all requests from the investigating team quickly and thoroughly. They then worked with Kent Highway Services to ensure the road was safe before it was re-opened to the public.

Both Craig and Ritchie performed their duties as police officers to the fullest extent in a highly professional way and in a very difficult situation.

 

Special Constables Kayleigh Archer, Richie Harman and Shawn Moore

On Friday 2 October 2009, the officers were on foot patrol in Gravesend town centre when they were alerted to calls about a serious assault in Queen Street. CCTV operators directed the officers to the road where three suspected offenders, two women and a man, were about to disappear into a nightclub.

The officers arrested all three, but the man refused to be handcuffed and one of the women became violent and assaulted SC Archer. The man then became aggressive and started to struggle with the officers, who activated their red buttons to summon urgent assistance.

Several officers arrived to assist and all were required to restrain the offenders and prevent further assaults and injuries being inflicted on officers. During this incident and as a direct result of being assaulted, SC Archer suffered a fracture to one of her hands, yet despite this and the fact that she had only been attested several weeks earlier, she worked to ensure one of the offenders was restrained, handcuffed correctly and fast straps applied

 

North Kent Mentoring Team

The north Kent team has found itself in the unenviable position of taking on five new probationers, not once, but twice, this year. Five existing competent officers were identified by the North Kent Special Inspector to meet this challenge.

All north Kent probationers whilst still training at Kent Police College were given observation duties with the mentoring team to make sure they made an early connection with the area. Team members attended the attestation and each probationer was assigned a mentor to provide continuity as they moved from training to their area.

The team's coordinator made sure that IT access, e-learning and equipment was issued to each probationer, attending the station on an almost daily basis from the outset to ensure each probationer was given personal tuition.

Arrests and recognition from senior managers began in the very first week, with the probationers tasked with jobs including drug seizures, searches, public order disturbances and domestic abuse cases. Regular PCs have been identified to provide additional tutoring so that coverage could be expanded. Response Sergeants then encouraged the new officers onto their sections, when they saw the level of enthusiasm and professionalism that was being shown at such an early stage.

Probationers in north Kent have very high levels of knowledge, skill and experience compared to their peers largely thanks to the hard work of their mentors.

The North Kent Mentoring Team includes:

• Special Sergant Shaun Forster
• Special Constable Erica Gilcrest
• Special Constable Ben Smith
• Special Constable Craig Wood

It is the work of the team's coordinator, Special Constable Ritchie Harman, an extremely dedicated individual with great enthusiasm for getting new officers involved, that has paid dividends in the form of respect from regular officers and senior managers and is maximising the contributions that the new officers can make to policing in north Kent.

 

West Kent

Special Sergeant Chris Pring

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to Special Sergeant Chris Pring for his hard work and effort in relation to recruitment.

Throughout the year, Chris has made sure Kent Special Constabulary has been present at high profile local events to help out with efforts to recruit more special constables.

He is a motivated officer, who coordinates this work with little or no prompting or supervision and regularly attends assessment centres held for potential new recruits, speaking to the prospective officers and giving them helpful advice.

Chris also chairs a meeting once per month in west Kent to keep the management team up-to-date with information about recruitment events and the progress being made. 

 

Special Constable Andy Wells

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to Special Constable Andy Wells for professionalism, camaraderie and dedication.

Andy was on duty on 7 August 2009 in Tunbridge Wells with two other special constables when a man threw an item at the marked police vehicle that they were travelling in. The officers stopped to speak to the man, who then became very aggressive, punching Andy in the face and splitting his lip when asked to calm down.

The other two officers used incapacitant spray and attempted to restrain the man but he violently resisted their efforts and continued to pose a significant threat to them. Despite his injuries, Andy rejoined his colleagues and helped to restrain the man, who it later transpired had a professional boxing background, until more officers arrived.

While at hospital to receive treatment for his injuries, Andy also responded to a call for assistance from another officer outside the hospital and helped that officer to detain a woman.

Andy displayed utmost professionalism throughout the evening, acting selflessly to support his colleagues. The award is to recognise the professional and dedicated way in which he conducted himself throughout the shift.

 

Special Constable David Humphries        

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to Special Constable David Humphreys for his dedication and commitment to his role. David joined the Special Constabulary in October 2008. 

Over the past 12 months, David has worked an average of more than 80.5 hours per month and often works in excess of 100 hours. He has made a positive contribution to the policing of Kent and regularly works alongside regular response officers, boosting their numbers and assisting them with their work, as well as working on numerous events. 

David’s hard work and commitment also helped him to achieve independent status within 11 months of joining and he is highly regarded amongst his colleagues, who consider him a valuable team member.

David is commended for his high level of professionalism, commitment and dedication to his role as a special constable.

 

Mid Kent

Special Constable Katie Wynn

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to Special Constable Katie Wynn for professional commitment and determination whilst off duty.

While shopping in Sittingbourne town centre on 25 September 2009, Special Constable Wynn noticed patrol officers dealing with an incident in the car park of a local nightclub. As the officers attempted to arrest a man, they where surrounded by a group of angry onlookers who where annoyed and agitated that their friend was being arrested and the incident quickly turned hostile.

Special Constable Wynn saw the detained man was becoming more aggressive and heard the PCs calling for urgent assistance as he attempted to overpower them, so, despite not having any protective equipment, she stepped in to help the officers until further support arrived.

Drawing upon her training and skills, she was able to help the officers to detain the man, preventing possible injuries to him and the officers. He was later taken into custody and charged.

Special Constable Wynn is commended for demonstrating great commitment despite being off-duty and for actions over and above what is expected of an officer.

 

Special Sergeant Mike Bean

Special Sergeant Mike Bean has shown himself to be a diligent and professional member of Kent Special Constabulary.  Special Sergeant Bean’s primary employment is at Sittingbourne railway station, however he also acts in a pivotal role within the Swale Safe radio scheme.       

On 14 October 2009, Special Sergeant Bean identified a man who he believed to be acting suspiciously outside the station. Having provided a description of the man, the sergeant was made aware that the man had stolen a bracelet worth £975 from a cabinet in a jeweller's shop in Sheerness and travelled to Sittingbourne to steal it.

Thanks to constant updates from Special Sergeant Bean and the aid of CCTV operators, officers were able to surround the man. With no means of escape and the stolen bracelet still in his pocket, the suspect immediately admitted the theft and was subsequently charged of the offence.

Special Sergeant Bean's role at the railway station is difficult and intensive but his committment to assisting his colleagues never falters. He remains proactive at all times and has assisted in the gathering of information about and arrest of countless suspects. He is a credit to himself, Kent Police and Kent Special Constabulary.

 

Medway

Operation Earthquake

Special Sergeants Simon Drury and Paul Butler have been nominated for this award for their hard work in setting up Medway's Operation Earthquake.

The operation is a joint initiative, during which officers from Kent Special Constabulary work with agencies including VOSA to carry out road checks. The two special sergeants have organised all of the operations carried out so far and have been instrumental in making sure that less experienced officers are given assitance when issuing tickets and dealing with post-operation work.

Operation Earthquake has proved to be a success, with the regular road checks helping efforts to improve public confidence in Kent Police. Action has been taken against a large number of offenders as a result of the initiative, results which have been recognised by the regular force.

 

Special Constable Jamie Gray

SC Gray has been a serving special constable since October 2008. He is a committed and reliable officer who consistently strives to deliver a high quality service. In the past year he has demonstrated selfless commitment to his role by completing eight hundred and sixty duty hours.

His diligence, competence and effectiveness as an officer are reflected by the twenty seven arrests he has made during the last year. The arrests, the majority of which have resulted in a positive result for Kent Police, span a broad spectrum of offences.

SC Gray has performed his role within the response and neighbourhood policing teams, in addition to public events throughout the year. His positive attitude, enthusiasm and commitment has been recognised by all who have worked alongside him. This has been reflected in good work reports received from supervisors and regular officers.

He has also received recognition from members of the public. During a recent quality assurance check a member of the public complimented the special constable for his 'politeness and professionalism' when attending the scene of a burglary.

Testament to SC Gray's determination and courageousness as an officer was demonstrated recently when he dealt with a violent man who was causing distress to elderly members of the public at Medway Maritime Hospital.

While arresting the man, the SC Gray was injured with a hypodermic needle, it later transpired that this male was a known user of illegal drugs. Despite the serious health implications that this type of injury can be associated with, SC Gray has not swayed from his commitment in the face of this adversity, resuming his duties three days later. 

 

 

Special Sergeant David Wilks

In under 12 months, Dave has worked hard to establish the training and development team at Medway, efforts recognised both within the special constabulary and with regular colleagues.

He is committed to ensuring new specials receive the training they require, which will give them a good grounding as they begin their careers as special constables. He has also spent time encouraging more experienced members of his team to develop their knowledge and skills so they can help other special constables.

With Dave's encouragement and commitment, his team has been recognised for dealing with many neighbourhood taskings. Their constant presence in Hoo on Friday evening resulted in one shop owner writing to express his thanks. The resident had even considered moving out of the area, but has since changed his mind due to the good work done by Dave and his team.

Dave is thoroughly committed to his role as a special sergeant and despite dedicating a large amount of his time running the training and development team, he also still supports area special events and training.  

 

East Kent 

Special Constables MacKenny, Bailey and Wellman

While on patrol at 1.45am on 16 May 2009, the special constables spotted two men, one carrying what looked like a flat screen plasma television. The men, seeing the officers stopping the car and approaching, threw the TV on the ground and ran away.

The officers chased the pair and were split up as the offenders ran in different directions. SCs MacKenny and Wellman chased one suspect while SC Bailey pursued the other, with all three staying in regular radio contact. Both suspects were caught, arrested and taken to Margate Police Station and the television was secured and its owners notified that it had been recovered.

All three special constables have been commended for the professional manner in which they dealt with the situation, especially the way they overcame a language barrier with one of the suspects.

 

Special Constable MacKenny and Special Constable McGill

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to Special Constable MacKenny and Special Constable McGill for thier commitment, dedication and professionalism whilst working in Thanet District.

At around 2am on 15 August 2009 they were on general patrol when they came across a fight taking place in Marine Terrace, Margate. On arrival, the officers were outnumbered by members of the public following an altercation that had taken place prior to their arrival.

They approached a group to ask what had happened and a woman alleged she had just been raped and said the offender had been detained nearby by other members of the public. Having detained the man, the officers called for another patrol to attend to speak with the victim.

With no regular officers available to support them, the two officers dealt professionally with the alleged offender throughout the custody process, obtaining DNA samples, seizing clothing, gathering evidence and liaising with the appropriate departments to take the case forward. Their commitment to dealing with the case meant they did not go off duty until six hours after they were due to do so.

 

Special Superintendent Lailey and Special Constable Grace

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to Special Superintendent Lailey and Special Constable Grace for their commitment, dedication and professionalism whilst working in Thanet District.

In January 2009, both officers responded to reports of a non-stop road traffic collision in Margate where a vehicle left the scene after it had struck a man walking on the pavement. Initial reports from witnesses about the man's condition were not positive, with a member of the public performing first aid on him. 

Special Superintendent Lailey and SC Grace helped regular officers already present at the scene to deal with the situation before volunteering to go with paramedics to the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate. In the ambulance, SC Grace also helped the paramedics to perform CPR on the man.

Despite the best efforts of medical staff after his arrival at the hospital, the man died of his injuries. The officers remained calm and continued to act with utmost professionalism even in such traumatic circumstances, providing updates on the situation at all times.

They were also responsible for collecting bedding from the ambulance and the man's clothing for forensic analysis as well as looking for anything that might help to identify him. A dog-tag necklace provided sufficient information for his identity to be established, allowing officers to contact his next of kin without delay.

 

Special Constable De-Thabrew

This Chief Officers' Certificate Merit was awarded for SC De-Thabrew for his work and commitment to the special constabulary team in Thanet district and for his work supporting the recruitment of new special constables which has helped teams across Kent.

SC De-Thabrew is an extremely dedicated, conscientious and diligent officer whose enthusiasm for his work exceeds expectations. He has worked hard to support the district special sergeants, taking on responsibility for administration, establishing and developing a mentoring scheme and supporting special constables as they seek to achieve independent patrol status.

Even as a volunteer, the number of hours SC De-Thabrew commits to Kent Police often exceeds that of a regular officer or member of police staff. His work is of a very high standard and he regularly acts on his own initiative to offer support and assistance to other officers in Thanet district.

He often takes his work home with him - writing up action plans or tutorials to help other specials with their professional development and has designed and put together a series of training presentations to help collegues to complete processes, such as traffic offence case files.

The work done by SC De-Thabrew has significantly enhanced the reputation of the east Kent special constabulary team within Thanet district and played a major part in developing and improving the relationship between the special constabulary and regular force.

 

Special Sergeant Mark Simpson

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to Special Sergeant Simpson for his commitment, dedication and professionalism whilst working for Thanet District.

Special Sergeant Simpson joined the team in February 2008 and has been successful in becoming a special sergeant and has undertaken the role of sergeant, mentor and assessor to an extremely high standard. During his time at Thanet, he  has worked alongside fellow specials and regular officers, gaining their respect and trust.

Special Sergeant Simpson has also worked with the supervisory team in east Kent and has been successful in implementing policies and procedures ensuring that the organisation and the officers are provided with the appropriate information required.

Alongside his role as special sergeant, Mark has been studying for a three-year Policing Studies degree at the Thanet campus of Canterbury Christ Church University. Mark should be congratulated because not only did he achieve a first class degree, he was also awarded the Ruxton Prize - the award for the top student on his course - for his commitment, dedication and academic achievement.

 

Special Sergeants Fraser MacCallum and Ian Dearberg

On 5 April 2009 Special Sergeants Fraser MacCallum and Special Sergeant Ian Dearberg were on duty in uniform when they saw a vehicle parked and unattended in St. Alban's Road, Hersden without valid car tax.

The sergeants waited in the area and eventually stopped a man who returned to the vehicle and was sitting inside. When they spoke to the man, the officers noticed cannabis in the vehicle and detained the owner and vehicle so a search could be carried out. During this search more cannabis was found and the man was arrested.

Special Sergeants MacCallum and Dearberg then secured authorisation to search the man's home, where they found more cannabis both growing and prepared for distribution. The pair remained on duty for a further 12 hours while they secured and preserved evidence, taking photographs and gathering statements and exhibits.

This incident is an excellent example of the work these officers do whilst on patrol, there are numerous reports of good work for these officers as individuals. This nomination only highlights one of many excellent pieces of work that the two officers have dealt with

 

South Kent

Special Sergeant Martyn Walker

On 7 October 2009, Special Sergeant Walker responded to a burglary at a house in Hawkinge, where it became apparent that the occupants were away on holiday. He arranged for the property to be boarded up and talked with the neighbours to make sure the owners would have appropriate support on their return. Special Sergeant Walker left a note for the owners to suggest they spoke to the neighbour before entering their home on their return.

The owners of the house were so grateful of this intervention that they contacted Kent Police to convey their thanks, stating that 'it was nice to have the shock cushioned by this note.'

This award is given to recognise the professional and dedicated manner in which Special Sergeant Walker conducted himself taking steps to ensure the burglary victim was properly supported.

 

Special Constable Prigmore

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to Special Constable Matthew Prigmore for his commitment, dedication and professionalism whilst working for Dover district.

SC Prigmore maintained a high level of service to the district between January and November 2009. He volunteered a total of 1,100 hours of his spare time during that period and within those hours made 29 arrests, attended over 190 CAD related incidents, submitted 30 intelligence reports and conducted 59 stop-searches.

This has had a productive effect on the policing of the district to which the regular force and the special constabulary must make note of.  Matthew is always willing to help wherever he can and performs a variety of duties, including core section, neighbourhood task team, mobile and foot patrols and supporting local PCSOs where required.

 

Tactical Operations

Special Constabulary Roads Policing Unit

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to the Special Constabulary Roads Policing Unit for their professionalism and dedication in supporting roads policing activity and assisting towards achieving the forces goal to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the county’s roads.

The team of 11 officers, formed in January 2009 and under the command of Special Inspectors Derek May and Ollie Woodrow, has achieved over 3625 hours of duty, during which they have submitted over 653 items of process. these include 203 speed offences, 75 seat belt offences, 32 seized vehicles for lack of insurance, and seven arrests. Each officer has undertaken 120 hours of specialised roads policing training, which has seen them qualify in a number of disciplines not previously available to special constables.

A major part of the team's work relates to priorities raised through the Partners and Community Together (PACT) process. Officers have worked on more than 53 individual PACT priorities and have been instrumental in reducing the number of reported incidents of speeding of and anti-social use of motor vehicles in a number of neighbourhoods, including Downswood in Maidstone and Chestfield in Canterbury.

 

Special Sergeant Terry Connolly

This Chief Officers' Certificate of Merit is awarded to Special Sergeant Terry Connolly for professionalism and dedication to the role of a special traffic officer.

Terry, an officer with the roads policing unit for the past 12 months has been instrumental in working towards the force goal of reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on Kent’s Roads. His aptitude for the work has seen him produce a high number of processes and duty hours.

He has detected and processed well in excess of 200 offences, including 102 speeding offences, 14 seatbelt offences and 12 drivers using mobile phones whilst driving, all factors seen as major contributory factors to deaths on the road. He has completed more than 700 hours of duty, which is three times the yearly average expected of a special constable.

The senior management team at roads policing has acknowledged Terry’s contribution to one of the forces main priorities. His regular colleagues also praise his professionalism with dealing with offences in this specialised area of policing.

His determination to produce quality effective results surrounding roads policing issues and to the aim of reducing the number of people killed on the county’s roads is a credit to Special Sergeant Connolly and reflects the professional and determined manner in which he has conducted himself, for which he is to be commended.