The commitment, initiative and bravery of Police Scotland officers and staff, as well as partner organisations and members of the public, were recognised and celebrated yesterday at the Police Scotland Headquarters, Tulliallan.
Held as a joint event for the first time, the Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards was attended by senior officers, politicians, stakeholders and family members.
Chief Constable Iain Livingstone QPM presented 29 Bravery awards to 34 police officers, 24 members of the public – and two police dogs. Among those receiving Bravery awards were:
- PC Paul O’Donnell, and Police Dog Remo were on duty in Ayrshire when they traced an individual who became very aggressive. He hit both PC O’Donnell and Remo in the face with a metal pole, before biting the dog’s ear. Despite their significant injuries, they were able to restrain their attacked until additional officers arrived and arrested him.
- Elizabeth Hutchison, who was driving in Edinburgh when she saw a woman in a distressed condition, walking without shoes in torrential rain, who made her way to a bridge and threatened to jump.
- Elizabeth (above) was able to help the woman down and alert police, before restraining her when she tried to run off. As a result of Ms Hutchison’s actions, a very vulnerable member of the public was able to receive the necessary treatment at hospital.
- Member of police staff, Alan Rae, was delivering a driving course to police officers in Aberdeen when a van with no-one inside began to roll backwards down a hill towards university and mosque buildings. He was able to catch up to the moving vehicle, get inside and bring it to a stop, avoiding a potentially serious incident.
Mr Livingstone also presented Excellence awards in 11 categories, including Greatest Contribution to Policing Priorities and Policing Partner of the Year, as well as a number of individual awards.
Police Officer of the Year was named as Inspector Kieran Dougal from City of Edinburgh Division, who, on transferring into community policing, made an immediate impact by taking ownership of key problems in the area, including road safety, hate crime, theft and domestic abuse, and is considered a valued leader among his peers.
Policing Partner of the Year was presented to Sarah Finnegan from Barnardo’s for the RISE Project, a two-year pilot project in Dundee and Aberdeen designed to address the Scottish Government’s National Action Plan to prevent and tackle child sexual exploitation. She has been instrumental in transforming local services and designing a more trauma informed approach to children and young people at risk in Dundee.
Police Scotland’s Unsung Hero was named as Detective Constable Iain McKinlay from Greater Glasgow Division for his unstinting work relating to the investigation of vehicle crime. He has established critical partnerships within the UK and abroad to identify organised crime groups involved in car theft and provided advice and assistance to officers across Scotland.
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Chief Constable Iain Livingstone QPM said: “Policing is a challenging and rewarding vocation, which unites us through a shared sense of public service, and I hear, every day, about the work of professional and compassionate people who are dedicated to improving the lives of their fellow citizens.
“I believe this to be the single most important thing we must all remember as police officers and staff: we are there to serve the public. We are the public and the public are the police.
“Therefore, it is absolutely right and proper for the dedication of our officers and staff to be publicly acknowledged, and at the same time commend members of the public for the selfless acts of bravery and courage which have made a significant contribution to others and their communities.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all our winners and nominees today and thank them all for their efforts.”
The event was sponsored by Police Mutual, an organisation which has supported the police family for more than 150 years, providing financial services and wellbeing support.
Police Mutual’s Chief Executive, John Perks, said: “It’s a huge privilege to work alongside the police service and we are immensely proud to sponsor this event.
“These awards not only shine a light on projects across various areas, celebrating successes that have been achieved amidst a backdrop of increasing challenges for the police service, they are also here to recognise the bravery of officers, where ordinary days turned into extraordinary days.
“All the nominees and winners should be immensely proud of their achievements – they have shown themselves to be dedicated to keeping the public safe through outstanding work and extraordinary levels of professional commitment, in line with Police Scotland’s values.
“We are always humbled by your outstanding demonstrations of courage and I am delighted to also be able to recognise Excellence in Policing. They are not only a credit to their families, friends and communities, but also to Police Scotland and the wider Police Service.”
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “I congratulate all of those who have been honoured with this year’s Awards. While the acts of bravery that are being recognised are exceptional, courage is often present in policing across the country. Police officers and staff are ordinary men and women who go above and beyond what is expected of them, often facing challenging and difficult situations.
“I have been struck by the incredible professionalism, dedication and expertise demonstrated in these awards. Whether call-handlers, cyber specialists, forensic experts, special constables, full-time officers, or members of the public, the people here today have played a role in keeping our communities safe. It is important to recognise this and the work that goes on across Scotland.”
David Crichton, Vice Chair of the Scottish Police Authority said: “We know our officers and staff are undertaking courageous, innovative and high quality work in the communities of Scotland.
“Today’s award ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate just a few of the selfless acts which help keep the citizens of Scotland safer. It is also an opportunity to recognise those members of the public who have helped us in that task.
“Congratulations to all today’s winners and to all those who were nominated for awards.”