Gary Collins won Police Officer of the Year for his “exceptional eye for faces”. He has identified more than 185 suspects who took part in last year’s disorder, many of them dangerous gang members. This time around he identified a suspect by way of the freckles on his face.
43-year-old PC Collins, who works in the Hackney Borough, said: “It’s really nice to be recognised like this. Everyone says I have a photographic memory. I just have a knack of remembering faces or other characteristics like eyes, tattoos and scars.”
He added: “During the disorder people had their faces covered with baseball caps but I was still able to spot them by the shape of their face. I’ve been in the Met since 1995 and everyone trusts my judgement because they know I never forget a face.”
Recognising and rewarding professionalism
Metropolitan Police Service Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe’s Excellence in Total Policing Awards were established to recognise and reward professionalism across the MPS. The London Mayor, Boris Johnson, also attended yesterday’s event in Westminster along with family members, friends and colleagues of the nominees.
Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said: “50,000 officers and staff at the Met work tirelessly every day to serve Londoners. In an organisation of our size it can be easy to overlook some of this great work. We intend to be the best, and today we are giving awards to the best officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police Service.”
The Commissioner went on to state: “I expect the highest standards from staff across the Met. Rightly, the work of the police is closely scrutinised. Likewise, when officers and staff do an outstanding job I want them to know how much it is valued by myself and the rest of the Met, and no doubt the Londoners they serve.”
He concluded: “Today has been an opportunity to show acts of bravery and skilled expertise by our officers as well as the dedication and support of our police staff. I am proud to have been able to personally congratulate the winners.”
Police Staff Officer of the Year
A forensics officer whose specialist evidence during a 40-year career has secured many convictions, including those of IRA bombers, received the Police Staff Officer of the Year Award.
Keith Main, Borough forensics manager at Westminster, started his career in the Met’s fingerprint bureau at the age of eighteen.
Main said: “I’m really proud to receive this award for excellence. One of the incidents which really stands out is the Docklands bomb in 1996 which marked the end of the IRA ceasefire. It was the most disturbing scene I have ever seen. In those days, most of it was fingerprint evidence and we managed to examine some books and other key pieces of evidence which had been abandoned by the bombers. This led to an arrest and subsequent conviction. Due to the serious nature of the bombing it was important that we carried out our tests meticulously while conscious of the need to obtain evidence in fast time.”
He also said: “Forensic work is really interesting and there’s no other job quite like it. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”
Victim Care Award
The Victim Care Award (individual) went to DC Colleen Ryan for her tireless work on sexual assaults.
DC Ryan provided help and support on a particularly difficult case involving a child who had been repeatedly raped by her father and kept threatening to kill herself. Thanks to the officer’s work, two other victims came forward and the man was later convicted of a number of offences.
A trainer at Hendon who was diagnosed with a rare kind of terminal cancer in 2010 received an award for Professionalism While Overcoming Adversity. Joanna Vigo-Mestres, 44, works full-time despite undergoing gruelling transfusions every three months.
Chief Inspector Michael Hill said: “Joanna is one of our top trainers and never lets her illness get her down. Despite the rigors of her own treatment, she still finds time to try to save other people by organising bone marrow events for charity. Forget the illness: she does an absolutely awesome job.”
Vigo-Mestres added: “This is better than the Oscars! The support I have been shown by my wonderful family, friends and work colleagues has been incredible. I love my work and really look forward to going in each day.”
Best Thief Taker and Special Constable of the Year
The Best Thief Taker Award went to PC Chris Dartnell, who made an impressive 103 arrests in 2011 (including eleven for robbery and three for serious sexual offences).
He also fought off a knife-wielding suspect while out on patrol.
His outstanding performance and commitment to fighting crime has earned him a place in the Lambeth Task Force as he completes his probation period.
A volunteer who worked over 1,000 hours in nine months was awarded the Special Constable of the Year accolade. 20-year-old Daniel Schofield was also instrumental in getting Specials to deal with crime and disorder at night in the Redbridge Borough.
Cadet of the Year went to 18-year-old Grant Fulker for his tireless work setting up Police Academies for schools in Sutton. The Police Academies – wherein young children are taught about the work of officers – have significantly improved perceptions about the police service.
Fulker commented: “I feel so honoured to get this award. It makes me feel so proud of all the work I do as a Police Cadet. The Police Academies have been one of my main achievements. The feedback has been outstanding, with parents saying it has completely changed the way their children behave.”
An officer who was injured while facing sustained missile attack as protestors occupied Conservative Party headquarters in 2010 won Probationer of the Year.
Despite being hit in the face and chest by objects, Jose Rodriguez-Rodriguez insisted on remaining in the middle of the disturbance to help his colleagues and make arrests.
*There are 28 categories altogether in four areas of awards: Total War on Crime, Total Professionalism, Total Victim Care and Total Policing