Acts of 'courage, compassion and dedication' recalled at police awards

Chief Constable Gary Roberts delivers final awards before retirement

A number of police officers, civilians and emergency service personnel have been honoured at the Chief Constable's Annual Awards.

On Monday (3 October) recipients and their families met at the Villa Gaiety in Douglas for the ceremony lead by Chief Constable Gary Roberts, Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer and Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson.

The event seeks to award those who've gone above and beyond in the last year.

The theme in 2021 was 'Covid-19' and, while this year's awards ceremony didn't have a set theme Mr Roberts said, if it did, it would be 'saving lives'.

An apt theme, because the stories being recounted on stage told mostly of officers saving, or attempting to save, the lives of Manx residents who, often, were experiencing a mental health crisis.

The audience heard how in the last year officers have had to coax somebody away from a car park roof - intent on ending their own life - others too from the edges of cliffs at Peel Headlands and Onchan.

Officers being sent out to search for people in crisis, the chief constable hesitated to say, had become 'routine'.

Gary Roberts spoke of how police had been called to three suicide attempts involving knives in one weekend alone in April, 'numbers you'd expect in the space of a year, maybe' he said.

The chief constable recounted the actions of the officers attending those incidents that weekend - how they'd administered crucial first aid and tried to calm 'distraught' family members.

For responding to those cases, seven officers were given Chief Constable's Commendations: Inspector Wendy Barker, Constable Christopher Beamont, Sergeant Anthony Corlett, Constable Rachel Grant, Constable Daniel Joyce, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Newey, and Constable Simeon Smith.

'There are people alive today that wouldn't be if it wasn't for those officers.'

Chief Constable Gary Roberts spoke to Manx Radio after the awards:

Covid lockdowns also saw new challenges for the officers, Mr Roberts said - explaining how two female officers, Detective Constable Sarah Bull and Constable Rebekah Ringham had to take samples themselves from someone alleging to have been sexually assaulted - something typically done by an outside source.

The results of the samples proved the allegations true, leading to a conviction. The pair were presented with a Certificate of Merit.

The winner of the R.K. Eason Trophy, described as the primary award of the day, was Constable Sean Kelly - who, whilst responding to a domestic situation in Ramsey, was attacked by a man with a knife.

Before walking on stage, Gary Roberts said Mr Kelly showed 'remarkable courage', and deserved 'the highest of praise'. 

'This is happening day-in-day-out, we have police officers going out there putting themselves on the line in service.'

Manx Radio spoke with Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson:

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the officers who received awards yesterday did not feel like speaking to the media about their awards or their experiences.

Minister Poole-Wilson says that fact is testament to officers' 'humility', and wishes more people would be able to hear the stories told at these events:

As well as police officers and control room staff, members of the public who'd assisted in extraordinary circumstances were also recognised.

Former police officer Ged Power was awarded with a certificate from The Society for the Protection of Life From Fire after helping save the life of the passenger of a car involved in a road traffic collision at the Spring Valley Roundabout last year.

The man was trapped in the back of the vehicle as it burst into flames, and surely would have died had Ged and the first responders not intervened, the Chief Constable said.

Image: Former police officer Ged Power with his Society for the Protection of Life From Fire Award.

'Looks like a car had done a Dukes of Hazard-style vault over the roundabout.'

Mr Power spoke to Manx Radio about the events of that evening:

Also awarded for their actions that night were Constable Steffan Hoy and Control Room Operator Lauren O'Dell.

The trophies and commendations given out at the Gaiety were given to people who were nominated by their colleagues.

The final award of the day was a new award, introduced this year - the Hector Duff OBE Lifetime Achievement Award and it went to - Chief Constable Gary Roberts.

'Hector was the greatest Manxman of my lifetime, so to be the first recipient of it is special.'

Manx Radio's Lewis Foster spoke with Mr Roberts about how it felt to receive the award, and what comes next for the head of the constabulary:

'To see the look on the faces of the families when people are being recognised and awarded is the critical part for me, and I love seeing that, so yes, I will miss it.' - Chief Constable Gary Roberts.

The chief constable is set to retire and leave his role at the end of March 2023, with Remembrance Sunday his final public event.