Brave police officers who went above and beyond the call of duty, and community heroes have been recognised for their outstanding work at an awards ceremony.
The Chief Constable’s Commendations and Long Service Ceremony saw life saving officers given awards for their work.
One officer who was recognised was PC James Petrie and an officer who wished to remain anonymous who helped save the life of a man who had been stabbed and was losing blood in Peterborough city centre in the early hours of 25 July 2021.
The man lost consciousness seconds after the officers arrived and they immediately applied pressure to his wound.
They worked on him for 20 minutes before he was taken to hospital. Medical staff said injuries of this nature have an estimated 10 per cent survival rate and, without the officers’ rapid intervention, the man would probably have died.
DC Elaine Penniket was commended for her successful investigation of a kidnap and rape first reported 31 years ago.
The offender, Colin Hill, now known as Martin Cooper, was sentenced to seven years in jail for rape, kidnap and three assaults.
Cooper’s offending, including serious assaults and severe emotional abuse, began during his marriage to the victim between 1984 and 1987. She fled in 1987, however, soon after, Cooper kidnapped and raped her. He then went on to murder 17-year-old Leanne Scott in a village near Peterborough, for which he received a life sentence.
And away from the police, Abdul Choudhuri, chair of the Peterborough Joint Mosques Council, was commended for 50 years of service to his community in Peterborough. He has held many roles, from currently chairing the Joint Mosque Council, to working in the Pakistan Welfare Association, the Asian Community Association, the Community Relations Council, and being a Justice of the Peace.
Mr Choudhuri has taken the lead in managing relations between the police and community, particularly issues of a serious nature needing careful and delicate handling.
He helped authorities manage the pandemic by putting social media messages out on the benefits of the vaccine and of the need to take all the necessary precautions. He invited Public Health England and the police into his mosque to ensure the highest standards of Covid compliance.
Chief Constable Nick Dean said: “As we present these awards to our officers, staff and members of the public, it is overwhelming to read the stories of outstanding bravery, compassion and kindness towards others in very difficult circumstances.
“You have stepped up to help someone in need, put your own lives at risk and gone above and beyond for the people of Cambridgeshire – and to each and every one of you, I say thank you.”
5. Chief Constable’s Commendations and Long Service Ceremony
DC Susan Brown is commended for her work on a traumatic and challenging case which resulted in a sexual offender being jailed for 14 years. The investigation began when a father found messages on his daughter’s phone saying she had been raped by her stepfather. The case was transferred from Suffolk Police and DC Brown was involved from the start, leading the suspect interview, where he denied all allegations. Photo: Cambs Police
6. Chief Constable’s Commendations and Long Service Ceremony
Abdul Choudhuri is commended for 50 years of service to his community in Peterborough. He has held many roles, from currently chairing the Joint Mosque Council, to working in the Pakistan Welfare Association, the Asian Community Association, the Community Relations Council, and being a Justice of the Peace. Mr Choudhuri has taken the lead in managing relations between the police and community, particularly issues of a serious nature needing careful and delicate handling. Photo: Cambs Police
7. Chief Constable’s Commendations and Long Service Ceremony
PC James Petrie and an officer who wished to remain anonymous helped save the life of a man who had been stabbed and was losing blood in Peterborough city centre in the early hours of 25 July 2021. The man lost consciousness seconds after the officers arrived and they immediately applied pressure to his wound. They worked on him for 20 minutes before he was taken to hospital. Medical staff said injuries of this nature have an estimated 10 per cent survival rate and, without the officers’ rapid intervention, the man would probably have died. Photo: Cambs Police
8. Chief Constable’s Commendations and Long Service Ceremony
DI Kelly Gray was commended for her relentless efforts, enthusiasm, drive, tenacity and innovation in tackling county lines drug dealing over the past 12 months. Working with PC Danny Cummings, their achievement was to shift investigations from the symptoms – those in possession of drugs on the street – to the causes of exploitation - those in control of drug lines, which meant moving towards identifying offenders’ roles within a county line and who was in ultimate control. They transformed investigative methods and traditional methodologies, focusing on working in collaboration with local, regional and national partners. Photo: Cambs Police