Brave officers honoured at police ceremony
Honouring officers, staff and policing partners at an annual ceremony at the force’s training centre at Carr Gate, in Wakefield, it was a successful haul for the officers that keep our streets safe.
The team which looked into the murder of Ravensthorpe man, Marcin Siarczynski, picked up the Denis Hoban Award for Crime Investigation.
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Hide AdIt was said they ‘showed unrelenting dedication and professionalism, to ensure a conviction was brought in a sensitive investigation’.
Also picking up an award were PC Craig Nicholls and PC Jonathan Wright, whose bravery in apprehending the man who killed Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox last year earned them the employees of the year.
Kirklees district mental health nurses, Helen Riley, Gail Tinker and Christopher Hodge, who work with the local officers and brief them on dealing with sensitive cases, won the ‘solving problems with partners’ award.
And for his ‘tireless’ work, Batley and Spen’s Inspector Mohammed Rauf took the outstanding leadership award.
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Hide AdThe long-serving leader was quick to praise his colleagues, and the community.
He said: “I was extremely honoured and surprised but for me the real leaders are my team, they are the one who are out there and they do an exceptional job.
“We play a small part in what we do, the bigger picture is what the communities do to help us and achieve what is required.”
Chief Constable Dee Collins, said: “I am constantly impressed by the tireless commitment and courage shown by our officers, who are all fantastic ambassadors for West Yorkshire Police.”
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Hide AdPolice and crime commissioner (PCC), Mark Burns-Williamson, said: “West Yorkshire is an area with some of the greatest policing and community safety needs and the fact is that everyday officers and staff demonstrate going that extra mile, often going beyond their call of duty in the most challenging of times and situations as we have heard.”
The quick-thinking actions of PC Craig Nicholls and PC Jonathan Wright landed them the award for employees of the year, ensured they received praise from Inspector Rauf.
He said: “I have nothing but admiration for PC Nicholls and PC Wright, they are two of the most humble officers I have every worked with.
“They ensured we had no further repeats of that incident, and they were back at work the next without a mention of what they had done.”
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Hide AdThe team behind the investigation into the murder of 36-year-old Marcin Siarczynski were also singled out.
Mr Siarczynski’s housemate was eventually given a life sentence but Insp Rauf said: “They (the team) were presented with a very, very difficult situation with little information, and from having that they were able to arrest a suspect and put him before the courts. A lot was achieved with extremely hard work”
Finally, he described the work of the mental health nurses as ‘phenomenal’, adding: “They are invaluable, people who are poorly do not need locking up, they need help and the nurses are on hand to do that and advise us.”