The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) ceremony recognises the wide range of skills that volunteers bring to policing in England and Wales, commending those who have made a difference such as by helping to cut financial crime, rural theft and road deaths. Ferrers Trophy overall winner - Special Constable Patrick Rarden of City of London Police. Patrick has used his banking skills and experience to help train colleagues and provide invaluable assistance to solve fraud cases. He has also established a new charity called "Waste Not, Want Not" to help feed rough sleepers. Ferrers Trophy team award - Cumbria Constabulary Specials for helping rescue and evacuate people during last year's floods in Cumbria. Ferrers Trophy - runner-up - Nigel Kettlewell, Area Officer, North Yorkshire Police, who helped set up "Operation Drystone - Rural Crime" to increase police visibility, boost confidence and deter offending in the area. Achievement In Recruitment - Highly Commended - Awarded to Senior Section Officer Brendan Black of West Yorkshire Police for helping to formulate and deliver monthly training evenings to the team. He played a leading role in the initial training weekend courses for specials and developed a structure of management and communication within the special constabulary which improved the efficiency. Police Support Volunteer Individual Award - Highly Commended - Alison Prefontaine, a police support volunteer for the Metropolitan Police Service, volunteered in a complex and sensitive area of policing and provided commendable assistance in the review of materials relating to investigations of serious sexual offences. Her efforts helped free up police officer time to investigate other crimes and increased the efficiency of the systems supporting the unit's work. Police Support Volunteer - Individual Award Winner - Jurek Wozniak, a Polish volunteer with Wiltshire Police, has played an important role in developing a call-back facility to improve public confidence, building links with the Polish community and helping reduce alcohol related ASB. His skills as an interpreter have also proved invaluable to the force. In addition, Jurek has helped to improve the use of local data systems, thereby reducing bureaucracy. For further details of the above winners or to register to attend with the event please ring Vincent Burke at NPIA Press Office by either ringing 020 7147 8310 or emailing vincent.burke@npia.pnn.police.uk. ENDS
Special constables helped rescue and evacuate people from the devastating flood-waters that hit Cumbria last year. They have now been honoured for their heroism, receiving the Team Award at the Special Constable and Police Support Volunteer Awards ceremony. The individual award went to Special Constable Patrick Rarden, of City of London Police, who has used his financial knowledge to train colleagues and reduce fraud.
Nick Herbert, Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice, handed out the awards and paid tribute to the work done by police volunteers:
"Special Constables and Police Service Volunteers embody the proud British tradition of people giving up their own time to help others.
They are a shining example of the Big Society in action demonstrating the role which individuals and communities have in helping to fight crime.
I want to see more special constables and new ideas to unlock the potential of volunteers in the police workforce.
The commitment and bravery of the Cumbrian volunteers in the aftermath of last year's terrible floods and the skill and insight of finance expert Special Constable Patrick Rarden show the range of talents volunteers can bring to the police service.
I would like to offer my thanks to all the award winners and hope their example will inspire others to offer their services to the community."
NPIA Chief People Officer Angela O'Connor said:
"It is vital we thank the thousands of community-minded people who carry out a wide of range work to prevent and tackle crime.
The NPIA is committed to finding ways of working closely with forces to see how volunteers can help paid officers and staff work even more effectively.
We are helping forces attract and retain high quality candidates to ensure they continue to give a first-class service to their colleagues and the public."
Notes To Editors
1. The awards are part of the NPIA's work to encourage more people to become volunteers.
2. Other measures include the first-ever national recruitment process to ensure that new recruits to the special constabulary meet the necessary standards required for effective operational policing. The NPIA is also working with forces to deliver a specials probationer programme and leadership training for specials - as well as working with wider police stakeholders to ensure the most efficient application of the Working Time Regulations for special constables.
The full list of winners is as follows:
This work involved 400 vehicles being stopped and checked by police in the rural border areas. There were 8 arrests resulting from those stops in addition to over 50 breath tests as well as tickets being issued for motoring offences.
Ferrers Trophy - Individual Award - Highly Commended - Special constable Christopher Coombs of West Yorkshire Police for developing a training package for officers using the Envitec Intoxiliser - a tool the police use to tackle drink driving. Christopher also developed an innovative language tool to overcome language difficulties and offer a better service to our diverse communities. Its application on a national level is currently being considered.
Ferrers Trophy - Individual award - Highly Commended - Special constable Susan Holliday of Cumbria Constabulary introduced "Farm Watch" to the local community which now has in excess of 330 members signed up. This has resulted in overall crime in relation to the theft of quad bikes and farming equipment to fall considerably since the scheme has been running.
Ferrers Trophy - Team Award - Highly Commended - The Gipton and Harehills Neighbourhood Policing Team, in West Yorkshire, have instigated community projects which have helped to reduce burglary in the area by 10% over 12 months through their work in managing offenders, tackling burglary and building public confidence through partnerships.
Ferrers Trophy - Highly Commended - special constables team at Cleveland Police who worked on drugs raids, warrant operations, high profile foot patrols and anti-social behaviour patrols, which played a significant part in maintaining their public confidence ranking.
Achievement In Recruitment - Highly Commended - Buxton Division Community Safety and Human Resources Team, of Derbyshire Constabulary went over and above their normal roles in conducting numerous interviews and taking part in weekend courses to progress the successful applicants throughout the training process. To date the force has achieved 100% retention of new recruits.
Achievement In Recruitment Award - Winner - Cheshire Constabulary's Volunteers Team, who in implementing the new specials national recruitment process, also increased the efficiency and effectiveness of their application and candidate processing and delivered impressive recruitment events and marketing across the Cheshire force area.
Police Support Volunteer Team - Highly Commended - Bikesafe Volunteer Observers, North Wales Police whose work has significantly contributed to a fall in the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured in the area. The number of fatalities fell by 62.5% (from 8 deaths to 3) between 2008 and 2009 and serious injuries to motorcyclists fell by 33% (from 88 to 59).
Police Support Volunteer Team - Highly Commended - Brent Mystery Shopper Project. Metropolitan Police Service volunteers visit police stations, monitor calls and check the internet sites of all 21 Safer Neighbourhood ward teams to help quality assure the service provided to the community. With this they have helped increase confidence in the police within the community.
Police Support Volunteer Team Award - Leicestershire Police's Volunteers Team who have helped reduce distraction crime by 62% by setting up 67 "No Cold Calling Zones", involving 2200 households to protect many vulnerable people.
Police Support Volunteer Individual Award - Highly Commended - Wayne Tudball, a volunteer for Gwent Police, has helped to raise awareness of mental health issues by contributing to police officer and PCSO training and designing a workshop dealing with such issues.
