DCC: “Important to stand by the families of fallen officers”

IT IS “hugely important” for the police service to stand by the families of fallen officers, Deputy Chief Constable Derek Benson has said following this year’s Care of Police Survivors (COPS) Service of Remembrance.

Mr Benson (pictured in uniform) was among more than 500 people to attend Sunday’s service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

At the service, surviving family members and serving police officers gathered to remember officers who have fallen in the line of duty.

“It is the responsibility of the police service to stand by our family. We are a family. I just think it is hugely important that we remember this and do whatever we can to help,” said Mr Benson.

He described Sunday’s tributes to fallen officers by their families and colleagues as “incredibly moving” and said they helped others “to understand to a degree what some of the families have been through”.

Mr Benson noted that the service had “grown enormously” thanks to the hard work of the people working for the charity and said they “should be applauded”.

He added: “It is growing year on year and long may that continue in terms of support. The unfortunate side of that is that we will always need the Care of Police Survivors. The job that our colleagues are doing out there on the streets day in day out means that there will always be a need for it.”

This year was the biggest-ever COPS weekend, with events taking place all weekend for surviving family members.

Sue Bishop – wife of PC Bill Bishop, an Essex Police officer murdered 30 years ago, (pictured next to DCC Benson) said it had been “lovely” to see such a big turn out this year. Those who have lost a loved one recently might “come here crying but they go home laughing”, she added. “They feel that they can then carry on their lives because they can see the way that we have progressed over the years.”

During the 60-minute Sunday service a surviving wife, mother, sister and daughter all recalled how the charity had helped them in their time of need.

Chief officers from all UK forces, the Home Office and staff associations were amongst those that took time to pay their respects and lay wreaths.

The Roll of Honour for the eight police officers and one member of staff who died on duty during the last 12 months was read out by Sue Brace. Those remembered this year were PCs Shazahan Wadud and Andrew Duncan, of the Metropolitan Police, PCs Tony Collins and Kirsty Nelis and Captain David Traill, all of Police Scotland, DC Adrian Grew, of Kent Police, PC Michael Chapman, of West Midlands Police, PC Mark Murtagh, of Police Scotland, and DC Sharon Garrett, of Cambridgeshire Constabulary.