Outstanding work, bravery and self-sacrifice, which has protected the vulnerable and kept our county safe, has been recognised at Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s annual awards.
The black tie event, held at Burgess Hall, in St Ives, on Friday November 10, saw officers, staff, Specials and volunteers come together to celebrate their colleagues’ achievements over the past year.
From bringing the perpetrators of some of the very worst crimes imaginable to justice, to dedicating their free time to helping the community – officers, staff and volunteers have all been honoured for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Chief Constable Nick Dean, who presented awards in 14 categories, paid tribute to those helping to keep Cambridgeshire a safer place to live, work and visit.
He said: “There is no greater honour for me as Chief Constable than to celebrate the incredible work our officers, staff and volunteers do every day.
“I am delighted to recognise each and every one of them for how they have taken on challenging, and often thankless, task of keeping the people of Cambridgeshire safe.
“This ceremony highlights the teamwork, hard work and professionalism which is vital to our success as a force.
“I would also like to take the opportunity to say thank you to our sponsors - we wouldn’t be able to put on this important event without their support.”
The awards categories and winners are listed below:
Police Officer of the Year
PC Guy Cunningham: While consistently demonstrating his commitment and passion for neighbourhood policing, Guy has an ability to build a rapport with anyone – helping to build trust and public confidence. Guy works in Peterborough, one of the county’s most deprived and challenging areas, and always make tough decisions or puts himself in situations many would avoid, to do the best for his community.
Investigator of the Year
DC Stephanie Dunlop: Stephanie is passionate about investigations and seeking justice for victims. Her work ethic and positive attitude are an inspiration to others on her team. Stephanie’s knowledge is said to exceed her years of service, and regularly takes comprehensive and complex investigations in her stride.
Special of the Year
SC Peter Keen: Peter has been a devoted and loyal Special constable for about eight years, and for the past four has been working alongside the Rape Investigation Team, playing a crucial role in delivering the highest level of investigation and service to survivors of serious sexual violence. He regularly goes above and beyond the required 16 hours per month required from a Special.
PCSO of the Year
PCSO Chris Wiseman: Chris is a dedicated and motivated PCSO and an invaluable member of his team. He is a great support to his colleagues, and regularly takes on activities which are out of his comfort zone for the good of his community.
Student Officer of the Year
PC Paul Gibson: Paul has a fantastic work ethic - very often the first to attend an incident and is always on hand to help his colleagues, ready to go wherever he is needed without a moment’s notice to ensure his colleagues are safe.
Cadet of the Year
Aaron Foley: Aaron is always eager to sign up for every volunteering opportunity, showcasing his selflessness and commitment to serving the community. Aaron’s willingness to step up and support various initiatives reflects his strong sense of duty.
Volunteer of the Year
Chris Young: Chris attends parade nights every week, providing invaluable guidance, support and inspiration to young police cadets. Chris not only dedicates his time to regular cadet activities, he also volunteers at various events across the county, sacrificing his weekends to contribute to community events.
Unsung Hero and (Chief Constable’s Employee of the Year Award) Grand Prix Winner
PC Justin Bielawski: Justin is instrumental in the success of the Wisbech Neighbourhood Policing Team. His professionalism, diligence and can-do approach to problem solving really sets him apart from others.
Justin leads by example, setting the benchmark for the team to follow and has the highest outcomes in terms of engagement and targeted activity. His ability to develop and maintain key relationships in the community has contributed significantly to making Wisbech a safer place to live, work and visit.
Commitment to Leadership
Sergeant Sarah Phillips: Sarah sets extremely high standards, for herself and her colleagues, and is not afraid to get stuck in when others need support. Sarah is knowledgeable, caring, and passionate but most importantly, the welfare of her officers is her number one priority.
Commitment to Health and Wellbeing
Sally Selves: Sally is passionate about supporting the Welfare and Benevolent Fund committee, and in turn, officers and staff across the organisation. As well as organising events and celebrations for families and pensioners, she also deals with some highly sensitive personal issues for people.
Commitment to Safeguarding
Detective Inspector Susie Hine: Susie is dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable in our community, maintaining high standards in crime investigation and victim care. She always seeks to positively influence the victims and shows an unwavering desire to protect people by securing convictions.
Police Staff Employee of the Year
Linda Davies and Sarah Newson: Sarah and Linda have more than 40 years combined dedicated service to the organisation and are still as committed to delivering the highest standard possible to ensure victims receive the best outcome at court as they were when they first started.
Team of the Year
Child Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Unit (CAISU South): the unit is focused on supporting and safeguarding children who have experienced some of the worst offences imaginable, but also protecting the public and achieving justice by prosecuting offenders. They have a genuine can-do attitude and a great team spirit, helping each other out when needed. They are professional, hardworking, and put the needs of the child above all and bring the perpetrators of some of the very worst crimes to justice.
The event also raised £521 for the charity Care of Police Survivors (COPS), as chosen by staff, through a raffle of prizes donated by the award sponsors and companies the force has worked with over the past year.
If you’re interested in sponsoring an award for next year’s ceremony, visit www.cambs.police.uk/annualawards
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