An award ceremony was held in recognition of Dorset Police staff, officers and volunteers, along with members of the public, who have made a contribution to keeping the county safe.
Deputy Chief Constable James Vaughan and the High Sheriff presented the various awards at the ceremony, held at Cobham Sports and Social Club on Tuesday 4 October 2016.
The honours presented included the Police Long Service & Good Conduct Medal, the Police Staff Long Service Medal, the Chief Constable’s Commendation, the Royal Humane Society Award and the Certificate of Service.
Acting Sergeant Geraint Butler was among those to receive the Police Long Service & Good Conduct Medal, in recognition of his 20 years of committed police service, during which he demonstrated exemplary conduct on many occasions.
Only recently he and a colleague were assaulted during an arrest. Acting Sergeant Butler remained on shift for several extra hours to ensure the welfare of his colleague was addressed and the relevant evidence was secured.
Joanne Manley and Corrine Ison were awarded the Police Staff Long Service Medal. Their careers collectively span more than forty years, during which they have both given service in a number of different departments and roles.
The Chief Constable’s Commendations were awarded to officers who had demonstrated bravery, professionalism and commitment in the face of exceptional circumstances.
Sergeant Richard Jeffrey received a commendation for his conduct during a March 2016 pro-active patrol, carried out following reports of a vehicle suspected to be involved in the supply of controlled drugs in the area. Sergeant Jeffrey and his colleague discovered the vehicle parked, with three individuals accompanying the car.
As Sergeant Jeffrey’s colleague approached the vehicle to speak to the occupants, the driver placed the car into reverse and accelerated back rapidly, dragging the officer backwards and knocking him to the floor. The car had moved at such speed that it crashed into a railing, but the driver continued to rev its engine, leaving Sergeant Jeffrey’s colleague concerned that the vehicle may injure him further.
Able to establish that his colleague would not be harmed, Sergeant Jeffrey took decisive action and made tactical contact with the vehicle, trapping it against the railings with the police vehicle. Sergeant Jeffrey was able to hold the vehicle, while his colleague deployed his PAVA spray on the driver and smashed the window of the car to turn off the ignition.
Despite being outnumbered and injured, the two officers maintained control while they waited for assistance to arrive. Nearly £2000 and a quantity of Class A and B drugs were seized from the vehicle along with evidence to implicate the offenders in drug supply and other criminality.
The High Sheriff presented recipients with the Royal Humane Society Awards. Special Constable Ben Turner was one of the individuals who received this honour, for his actions in Dorchester in December last year.
An elderly male had fallen from his bicycle and was unresponsive. Special Constable Turner’s colleague had discovered the cyclist, and having established he was breathing and had a pulse, put him the recovery position. The cyclist had just enough time to give his name and inform the officer that he had a heart condition, before his heart stopped and he was no longer able to breathe.
It was at this point that Special Constable Turner arrived on the scene. Having requested an ambulance, he promptly took over the CPR while his colleague performed rescue breaths. On arrival of the first responder paramedic, Special Constable Turner assisted in setting up the defibrillator while his colleague continued with compressions.
The cyclist was revived and taken to hospital to receive further treatment. Both officers visited the man in hospital where they were thanked by him and his daughter. Without their prompt and decisive actions, he may not have survived.
Quick thinking was also demonstrated by Geoff Whitehead, James Gregory and others, during a local rugby match in December 2015, earning them the Royal Humane Society Award.
One of the players had collapsed and the referee was signalled to stop the game. Coach James Gregory and team member Geoff Whitehead went onto the pitch and found the player unresponsive and unable to breathe. Together with two other males, Mr Gregory and Mr Whitehead performed CPR and gave emergency breaths to the injured player.
When the paramedic arrived a defibrillator was deployed, all while the men continued to provide assistance along with a medical history for the collapsed male. More paramedics arrived shortly after, along with the air ambulance, which transported a thankfully then conscious and breathing patient.
Thanks to the quick actions of Mr Gregory, Mr Whitehead and their fellow recipients of the award, the player went on to make a full recovery.
A Certificate of Service was awarded to Gillian Heath for her 25 years of service with Dorset Police. During her career with the Force, Gilly was a member of both the Station Desk Officer team and the Safety Camera team. She has recently left the Force.
Deputy Chief Constable James Vaughan said: “It is always a real honour to attend these award ceremonies and celebrate the commitment, professionalism and overall hard work of our police officers and staff.
“It is also a fantastic opportunity to recognise the quick and brave actions of members of the public.
“All the recipients thoroughly deserve their awards and should be highly commended for their help in keeping Dorset safe.”
