Ceremony recognises outstanding work at Cambridgeshire police

Those who have exceeded expectations and gone above and beyond to help ‘Create a Safer Cambridgeshire’ were recognised by 13 award categories.

Chief Constable Nick Dean said: “I felt incredibly proud to announce this year’s award winners and runners up.

“Having joined Cambridgeshire Constabulary as Chief Constable last October, I have been consistently impressed by the dedication and commitment of officers and staff.

“I think it’s easy to forget, or ignore, how important and courageous some of the day-to-day tasks our officers and staff carry out are, but it really does deserve recognition. These awards were a great opportunity to acknowledge this.

“I’m also grateful to our sponsors, whose generous contributions helped us fund the evening and hold such a special ceremony to recognise all our stars.”

Held at Tte Burgess Hall in St Ives, the ceremony included food, drinks, music and awards presented by Mr Dean, the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Deputy Chief Constable and sponsors.

Eight companies and organisations, including close partners of the force, helped fund the evening through donations.

Police and Crime Commissioner Jason Ablewhite said: “I was extremely pleased to be part of such a special event recognising the success of our officers and staff. There’s a real sense of duty and professionalism to constantly support the public often in very dangerous circumstances.

“The awards ceremony, paid for entirely through sponsorship, highlighted the tremendous achievements of an exceptional few but also showed the unconditional duty of all officers and staff who serve our community.”

Attendees heard stories of exceptional performance, professionalism and commitment and saw those who had gone above and beyond the call of duty to help protect the people of Cambridgeshire rewarded.

The event also raised £540 for the charity Care of Police Survivors, as chosen by staff, through a raffle of prizes donated by the award sponsors and companies the force has worked with over the past 12 months.

AWARD WINNERS (and comments from police):

Grand Prix Award – Chief Constable’s employee of the year, and Flying Colours Commitment to Health and Wellbeing Award

Winner: Fiona Nunn

Fiona has brought enthusiasm and vigour to health and safety. She continually seeks to improve the tri-force approach to this area of business and carries out her role proactively. Her positive attitude, professionalism and commitment to her role is demonstrated in her exceptional performance and her passion for keeping everyone safe.

Marshall Commitment to Outstanding Leadership Award

Winner: Detective Inspector Nick Skipworth

Nick is an established and proven leader, with very high standards, and always has time to support colleagues who may lack confidence – whether at work or not. His knowledge and experience is shared with everyone he works with, including at a regional level, and his motivation to develop his staff is second to none.

Black Marble Commitment to Safeguarding Award

Winner: Detective Constable George Neal

George is the force expert in forced marriage and female genital mutilation – work that is often not seen by colleagues or the public. His commitment to safeguard, protect and support victims of this crime is tireless, and in addition to his role he has supported awareness raising of the issues both locally and nationally.

Cambridge Regional College Cadet of the Year Award

Winner: Savi Sweeney

Savi has been an exceptionally committed cadet since she joined the Cambourne unit when it started in 2016. She is the first and only female cadet leader in her unit. Often faced with challenges out of her comfort zone Savi throws herself into them, confronting her fears and demonstrating great leadership and excellent teamwork.

Blast Films Special Officer of the Year Award

Winner: Special Constable Chris Palmius

Chris is one of the most dedicated Special constables in Cambridge, recognised regularly by his colleagues for his commitment. He is a great support to new and probationary Specials, providing help, advice and guidance in addition to his duties. His regular colleagues often forget he is a volunteer.

Police Community Support Officer of the Year Award

Winner: PCSO Thomas Baugh

Thomas’s consistent approach to community policing is second to none and his dedication to personal development to help the community is admirable. His diligence and commitment to partnership work, which often goes unnoticed, has led to some great results that had a huge impact on the lives of those in the community.

Cambridge Assessment Student Officer of the Year Award

Winner: Police Constable Dale Turner

Dale is a keen, enthusiastic and dedicated officer who strives to deliver a gold standard service at all times, in particular to victims – no matter the crime. He has a positive, ‘can do’ attitude, with a strong focus on proactive policing and is always first to offer help, rather than wait to be asked.

Investigator of the Year Award

Winner: Detective Constable Karen Lunn

Karen is a meticulous investigator with an eye for detail and a passionate commitment to her role. Hardworking, consistent and compassionate, she shares her knowledge as a mentor with less experienced detectives in her team, while maintaining exceptional quality and consistent results in her own investigations.

Police Staff Employee of the Year Award

Winner: Garry Dix

Garry is professional, hardworking and proactive, all traits that have been demonstrated in his demanding and challenging role as forensics manager. In a constantly changing world, Garry is undaunted by innovation and change and is a role model to everyone in his team.

Police Federation Police Officer of the Year Award

Winner: Sergeant Jason Hancock

Jason’s passion and professionalism is second to none and his infectious enthusiasm is evident in the results his team produce to keep our community safe. Motivated and driven, he is always willing to go the extra mile – even when not on duty - for his colleagues and the public.

Unsung Hero Award

Winner: Tim Goddard

Tim is a consistently strong member of the communications team, supporting others, but never shouting about his own work, despite its significant impact on the way the force communicates with the public and staff. His innovative campaigns have created huge public engagement and resulted in missing people being found, intelligence coming into the organisation and criminals being caught.

Cambridgeshire High Sheriff Team of the Year

Winner: Rape Investigation Team

The RIT investigates some of the most serious offences committed in the county. Against a backdrop of increasing crime levels and staffing pressures, the team have shown great resilience, courage and dedication and work tirelessly to achieve the best outcomes for victims and bring offenders to justice.