Essex officers commended for “remarkable work”

ESSEX Police officers have been commended for acts of bravery and dedication and commitment during a special commendation ceremony.

In what was his final commendation ceremony before retiring, Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh presented recipients with certificates and spoke about his appreciation for their “remarkable work.”

He said: “Presenting commendations is one of the most special things I can do as a Chief Constable and this ceremony is really important to me.

“Not only is today about recognising the remarkable work you do every day but it’s to say thank you to your loved ones and acknowledging the sacrifice, the worry, the missed dinners and opportunities that often go unnoticed.

“Today we are commending a member of public which is really special. Policing can’t survive without the public and I’m always humbled whenever I see a member of public assisting our officers with an incident they haven’t been trained to deal with.”

Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Jane Gardner said: “It’s an honour for me to be here today in the company of some really incredible people.

“The hairs on the back of my neck stand up every time I attend one of these ceremonies and hear about the fantastic and brave things you do. I thank you on behalf of the office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and the people of Essex.”

In November 2017, Sgt Richard Everitt attended an incident following reports of a person threatening to jump from a multi storey car park.

After arriving at the scene, Richard rushed to the top of the car park where he found a distressed teenage girl threatening to jump.

Richard sat on the roof and talked to the girl for almost two hours, building a rapport and gaining her trust.

Thanks to his timely intervention, the girl was persuaded to remove herself from harm’s way.

The officer was commended for his dedication and professionalism whilst saving her life.

One of our officers was commended for attempting to save a man’s life following a road traffic collision.

In December 2017, the officer was off-duty when he came across the aftermath of a serious accident.

Without a second thought, he rushed to the assistance of an injured motorist and began performing CPR. Despite his best efforts, the motorist sadly passed away.

The officer remained at the scene until support arrived, helping to direct traffic and offering support to other motorists. He was commended for his professionalism, selflessness and dedication during the incident.

In August 2017, PC Gemma Britton and PC Martin Swain attended a house fire in South Ockendon where people were believed to be trapped inside.

The officers worked alongside neighbours to help ensure the occupants, who were climbing out of a window, get to safety,

The officers tended to the men, who were uninjured and suffering from smoke inhalation, until paramedics arrived.

Both Gemma and Martin were commended for their bravery, selflessness and swift actions during the rescue. Both offers received an award from the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire.