PCC celebrates remarkable commitment of volunteers, officers, staff and community groups at Annual Awards event

The Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has thanked volunteers, staff and partners from across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for their exceptional service and commitment at a glittering ceremony in Winchester.

This year’s Police and Crime Commissioner Awards, dedicated to recognising those who have helped make communities safer and have improved the lives of others, was held on Friday 8 March 2024.

The Commissioner was honoured to host her third annual awards alongside a number of other guests including Deputy Chief Constable Sam De Reya, High Sheriff Amelia Riviere, Superintendent Patrick Holdaway, from the City of London Police, who leads the National Business Crime Centre, Special Superintendent Russell Morrison, Gabriel Amahwe, Regional Director of the Probation Service, and the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Terry Norton.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “Volunteers, partners, community groups, and dedicated staff make a vital contribution to policing.

“Their efforts often go unseen, but in fact play a huge part in keeping people safe, day after day. It is right and proper for their unwavering commitment and dedication to be in the spotlight at this event.

“We received an incredible amount of nominations this year which made it so hard to judge. Every nomination encapsulated compassion, innovation and an unwavering sense of duty.

“Congratulations to all the winners and nominees on the night who clearly go above and beyond to make Hampshire and the Isle of Wight safe. I applaud you all for your commitment and outstanding service to your communities.”

The winners of this year’s Awards are:

Police Volunteer of the Year Award – Community Speedwatch Chandler’s Ford
This group is at the heart of community working at the roadside 24/7 and goes above and beyond to support the Constabulary’s commitment to exceptional local policing.

Bobby on the Beat Award  – PC Paul Knaggs
PC Paul Knaggs works with Neighbourhood Watch, schools and youth organisations to make Yateley a safe place to live.

Business Crime Prevention Award  – Eastleigh BID Crime Prevention Team
Rich Moody and the Eastleigh BID team are outstanding at supporting the police. Their success included saving TK Maxx from losing £2,000 when a shoplifter left empty handed after their intervention.

Commissioned Service Volunteer of the Year Award  – Andrew Coulbeck
Andy has volunteered as a qualified trauma counsellor for 10 years, helping victims of sexual abuse.

Community Volunteer of the Year Award –  Peter Riley
Peter is the retiring Chair of Corhampton, Meonstoke and Exton Neighbourhood Watch. He has tirelessly promoted the benefits of the scheme to villagers and has built an extremely successful liaison with the force.

Police Animal of the Year – Police Horse Odin and Police Dog Wilson
Police Horse Odin – At 17 years old and with 12 years’ service, Odin is the longest serving Police Horse in the department. He was one of the lead horses for the Queen’s funeral procession. Just recently, he was serving at Aston Villa and stood his ground despite attack from missiles and flares during the disorder.

Police Dog Wilson – PD Wilson is a five year old German Shepherd. In the last year alone, Wilson has tracked and detained numerous suspects including two domestic assaults, five burglars, and nine suspects of stolen motor vehicles.

Police Recruit of the Year – PC Olivia Stone
Olivia hit the ground running. She arrived at Netley last summer and is always eager to deliver exceptional local policing on her busy beat in Basingstoke town centre.

Rural Crime Fighter Award – PS Stuart Ross
PS Ross works tirelessly targeting rural criminals. He obtained funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner for specific ANPR cameras for the County Watch team. He has also led the reintroduction of trackable assets.

Safer Roads Award – Inspector Andy Tester
Andy works diligently every day to ensure the roads across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are safer for us all. Along with his colleagues, he is on a mission to tackle speeding motorists and make highways safer for all road users. He was also instrumental in securing funding from the Commissioner for new unmarked motorcycles.

Special Constable of the Year Award – SS Lewis James
Lewis works almost full time hours with the Bargate NPT. He gets involved in every aspect of local policing and is very enthusiastic and motivated, bringing in results every time he is on duty.

Supporting Victims of Crime Award – PC Becky Marshall
PC Marshall goes above and beyond when attending incidents. She is a conscientious and hard-working officer who demonstrates a passion for supporting victims.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour Award – Jema Paull
Jema heads up a local security company who staff many of the Night Time Economy venues in Southampton. Described as a ‘legend’ she works hard to keep people safe and very adept at working with various partners in Southampton.

Working in Partnership Award – Inspector John Smith & Ryan Prince
Inspector John Smith and Ryan Prince are jointly nominated by partners for their work on the Drug Testing on Arrest initiative. John was given the task of developing and implementing DToA in custody while Ryan provided crucial RMS business support expertise.

Youth Engagement Award in memory of James Bowman – Saints Switching Play Team
The Saints Foundation’s Switching Play project supports young people in Southampton who are either already involved in offending behaviours or are at risk of becoming so.

Youth Volunteer of the Year Award – Chloe Headland
Chloe is a dedicated member of the Youth Commission. She is never shy giving her point of view and this has helped partners ensure they have a youth voice in their decision making.

Commissioner’s Special Recognition Award – Lisa Wills
Lisa’s achievements include overseeing the merging of the initial Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and the Drug Action Team which created the Safer Portsmouth Partnership. She set up the city council’s ASB Unit and has been part of national bodies and working groups developing policies and legislation to tackle community safety issues. She has also been a real champion supporting domestic abuse victims.

Lisa retires next month after 33 years in local government, 25 years working for Portsmouth City Council and 20 years connected to the city council’s community safety work and the Safer Portsmouth Partnership.

Selected images, including all this year’s Award winners, can be found here.

If you missed the show, you can watch it again on the OPCC Facebook page.