West Area Awards 2022

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12:25 10/05/2022

Criminals have been brought to justice, victims saved from danger and illegal activity disrupted by officers and staff honoured at the West Area Awards 2022.

Staff from across Lincolnshire gathered to pay tribute to the professionalism and tenacity of their colleagues at the Aspen Suite in the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Lincoln on Wednesday, 27 April.

The event saw colleagues, friends, and families come together to recognise those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

Remarkable stories of determination, problem-solving and empathy were shared on the night.

The event was led by the West Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Jon McAdam, who commented “I am proud and humbled by the outstanding work of all our staff who work tirelessly to ensure this is a safe place to live, work, and visit.

“Being able to recognise staff for some of their outstanding achievements is an absolute privilege.

“We saw staff recognised for acts of bravery in detaining suspects, compassion in helping people in crisis, actions to save lives, dedication in tackling quality of life issues, and determination in bringing serious and organised criminals to justice, to name just a few.

“To be able to share these actions of our colleagues with their friends and family in this way was just fantastic.

“I would like to thank all of those who worked behind the scenes and on the night to make this event happen.

“Due to COVID restrictions we have not been able to hold such events, having to do this on an individual basis instead.

“To be able to bring people together in this way for a collective celebration has been long overdue and I very much look forward to many more in the future.”

See below for the citations read out on the night.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENTS:

DETECTIVE SERGEANT 383 WYNN

DETECTIVE CONSTABLE 180 BATES

DETECTIVE CONSTABLE 107 BAXTER

POLICE CONSTABLE 785 EVANS

DETECTIVE CONSTABLE 1434 GERWAL

POLICE CONSTABLE 1310 SPINK

Officers attended a property in Lincoln in 2020 where an elderly woman was found with severe injuries to her hands. These were caused by holding the blade of a knife being thrust towards her by a woman.

Constable Russ Spink was one of the first officers to arrive on scene and heard screams coming from the property. He used a battering ram on the front door in order to secure entry and quickly gained a good understanding of the incident. Russ directed other officers to arrest the suspect while he provided first aid to the badly injured and severely traumatised victim.

Detective Sergeant George Wynn and his investigation team were assigned to the incident as the report came in one hour before they were due to finish a 10-hour duty. The officers worked tirelessly through the night and the following day to meticulously gather evidence and present a file to the Crown Prosecution Service. The team secured an attempted murder charge two days later.

The work ethic, commitment and outstanding teamwork of everyone involved was exemplary. The victim was afforded an excellent level of service and remained safeguarded by the offender being detained in custody.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

POLICE CONSTABLE 673 GROOM

Constable Ben Groom has been nominated for this award in recognition of his leadership on the City Centre Team in respect of Criminal Behaviour Orders.

When Ben joined the team, it was clear that he took personal ownership of repeat offenders in the city centre area and applied a problem-solving approach to reduce their criminality. He demonstrated that he is a strong advocate of support and diversion but when intervention is unsuccessful, he looks for long-term solutions for those who continue to offend. Ben took an active personal interest in using Criminal Behaviour Orders to reduce offending and looked for good practice across the Force. From this he created and managed a database of prolific offenders of crime and anti-social behaviour. This not only inspired his own team but also other departments, partners, and victims to work together to build information and evidence regarding those who continue to cause the most harmful impact on the community. This has led to a number of Criminal Behaviour Orders being applied for and successfully granted on conviction.

Ben has led the way in this area of work, obtaining some of the first Criminal Behaviour Orders within the city of Lincoln for prolific shoplifters. He has also successfully managed the applications resulting in Criminal Behaviour Orders for continued violence, intimidation, and antisocial behaviour in the city centre. Under Ben’s direction the work produced by the team has led to a dramatic reduction in offending, by the nominals either complying with the orders or breaches being swiftly progressed, resulting in prison sentences. In turn, the work has protected countless potential future victims, reduced demand on police resources and made the city centre a safer place to live, work and visit.

Ben is a hardworking officer and has shown high levels of professionalism, dedication and leadership by implementing the use of Criminal Behaviour Orders in a way that has not previously been seen in the city centre.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

SPECIAL INSPECTOR 20060 STANLEY

Throughout 2020 Special Inspector Ben Stanley provided exceptional dedication and commitment to serving the local community. He relentlessly supported the local team of officers, despite the additional risks of Covid, working over 1400 duty hours: this equates to 27 hours for each week of the year.

Ben has regularly arranged for himself and other Special Constables to be on duty to boost staff numbers across the Response teams, often at short notice. He has supported the development of new and serving Special Constables, many of whom have gone on to become regular officers, as well as helping to support and develop Police Cadets. Furthermore, Ben has volunteered and assisted with the running of specific operational campaigns around Rural Crime and Christmas Drink-Drive activity, latterly organising a team of Specials to undertake a night of action.

Ben is recognised by local officers as being extremely professional and highly competent, and he is a key member of the Policing Team.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

POLICE CONSTABLE 1789 PARKER

In June 2020 Constable Carol Parker began working on a high-risk case in her new role as Anti-Social Behaviour Coordinator. This related to an unlicensed house in multiple occupation located in Grantham. The property was well known locally due to being connected to drug supply, prostitution, violence, weapons and links to County Lines.

Carol liaised with Legal Services and began gathering a significant amount of information to secure a Closure Order on the premises. She initiated intervention from other agencies such as Environmental Health, South Kesteven District Council Housing, Adult Services, Victim Support and the local Job Centre. In addition to this, Carol provided a first-class service to two of the tenants in the property who were not connected to the criminal activity. She was instrumental in securing alternative accommodation, going above and beyond her responsibilities by assisting one of them to complete a Housing Application and acting as an advocate with other agencies.

Throughout this process Carol showed high levels of professionalism, commitment and flexibility, often working outside of her core hours to ensure deadlines could be met and victims updated and supported. Local residents were informed of the Closure Order, who stated that they were ‘thrilled’ and ‘delighted’ to hear that the premises would be closed for three months. Carol’s work undoubtedly made a huge difference to the two former tenants as well as the local community.

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION

RECIPIENT:

SPECIAL CONSTABLE CHARLOTTE REEVE

Special Constable Charlotte Reeve joined Lincolnshire Police in April of 2020, at the start of a very challenging period for everyone due to the global pandemic. Having completed her initial training, Charlotte was posted to Bourne where she quickly settled in, completing her policing duties alongside her degree work. She became well respected by her peers, mentor and others whilst working in her role as a Special Constable, completing her Professional Development Portfolio and making excellent progress through the required competencies for sign off as an independent officer.

Charlotte attended a wide range of incidents and took each new challenge, situation, and task in her stride. She developed her skill set, learnt from others, and fostered her own style and professional abilities. As a Special Constable, Charlotte performed duties far beyond the minimum hours required, often completing over 50 hours per month, particularly during the pandemic where it was often a case of all hands to the pump.

Having gained the requisite competencies by working with her mentor and other officers, Charlotte submitted her Professional Development Portfolio, which was described as ‘one of the best’ the supervisory chain had seen. It was a great pleasure to confirm Charlotte in post and grant her independent status, however this was only to be for a short time as she then went on to successfully join the force as a regular police officer.

Charlotte Reeve was presented with a Certificate of Recognition to acknowledge the successful completion of her Police Acton Checklist and in achieving independent patrol status within her previous role as Special Constable.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

POLICE CONSTABLE 632 FLETCHER

In 2021 police received a call from a member of the public who was door-to-door fundraising at the time. It was reported they had heard screams and cries for help coming from a property in Lincoln.

Officers were deployed and when they reached the address a woman who arrived at the same time told them her boyfriend was inside, and he had sent her a text saying he was going to commit suicide. The woman gave police access to the property and Constable Chris Fletcher found the man. The man was still alive, and Chris took immediate action.

Paramedics who subsequently attended the scene stated that had police not arrived when they did, the man would not have survived. Chris demonstrated outstanding professionalism and dedication in saving the life of a vulnerable individual in very difficult circumstances.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

CONSTABLE 602 WRAY

In 2021 police received a report of an attempted burglary at a shop in Lincoln, which was initially attended by colleagues on Response. Constable Craig Wray reattended to provide reassurance as part of his role within the City Centre Team. As a result of his knowledge, tenacity and personal pride in knowing his area, Craig was able to establish a link to another commercial burglary a week prior, recalling from memory a unique holdall used by the offenders. The connection he made started him on a hunt for evidence and drove him to identify two suspects that he managed to trace via CCTV to a local address. He was able to obtain an identification and arrange the arrest of both suspects, which was completed and recovered key evidence and the holdall to connect the offences.
The amount of work produced in rapid time by Craig was simply outstanding. As a result of his evidence capture the suspects were interviewed, charged and remanded. I have no doubt that Craig’s ‘can-do’ and proactive approach prevented further burglaries and ultimately safeguarded local businesses.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

CONSTABLE 602 WRAY
Constable Craig Wray has served on the Lincoln City Centre Team since October 2019. Throughout this time, he has shown exceptional skills, dedication, commitment, passion for public service and has championed the problem-solving approach of the team. He has repeatedly used the latter to protect victims, address the root causes of criminal behaviour and bring offenders to justice.

Craig’s partnership work can be best demonstrated as the lead single point of contact for one of the most challenging areas to police in Lincoln, where he has built strong and enduring relationships of mutual respect with key partners. In this way they have worked together to strike the right balance between enforcement, support and diversion to give individuals the best chance of improved lives. Craig is victim focused and proactively identifies vulnerable victims of crime that have often not reported to any service. Examples include:

Identifying a suspected victim of modern-day slavery and working with partner agencies to protect them whilst deploying disruption techniques to tackle the offender.
Proactively developing intelligence to identify two young people involved in drug supply; after completing enforcement action he recognised the exploitation involved and spent time locating and speaking to their parents over several days; they were grateful for his intervention and support. His actions prevented one young person from entering further criminality, whilst the other was of interest to the Serious & Organised Crime Unit.

Craig is a highly motivated officer and has equal strengths in pursue activity as he does with victim focus. An example of this is using an intelligence led plain-clothes policing approach to locate and arrest a prolific offender who had been evading arrest attempts for a Hanoi burglary; this led to an immediate decrease in acquisitive crime in the area.

Another significant reflection on Craig’s firm and fair policing style is the respect and trust he has gained from some of the most prolific offenders in Lincoln. This has led to information being given directly to him on two different occasions, regarding an affray with knives and the sexual abuse of a child: both disclosures resulted in lengthy prison sentences.

Craig is an outstanding officer with a diverse skill set and a strong sense of justice. He is passionate about training and development, he is a specials mentor and coaches those younger in service. He is absolutely invested in portraying a positive image of Lincolnshire Police and regularly posts on a police Facebook site that has thousands of likes and positive comments.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENTS:

POLICE CONSTABLE 1798 CAWTE

POLICE CONSTABLE 375 CRAWLEY

POLICE CONSTABLE 1440 HANBY

POLICE CONSTABLE 393 SOO

POLICE CONSTABLE 227 SZABAN

In early 2021 Constable Michael Soo and Constable Vicky Crawley attended an address following reports of a man who had injured himself. On arrival the man was unwilling to engage and initially appeared to be armed. The officers could see he had a potentially serious injury due to the amount of blood present. Michael took quick and decisive action to detain the man under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act, in order to prevent any further harm to himself or other persons due to his behaviour.

Constable Kat Szaban and Constable Sam Hanby then joined their colleagues to assist. First aid was administered at the scene by the officers while they waited forty-five minutes for an ambulance to arrive. Throughout this time the man was verbally aggressive and resistant, and displayed challenging behaviour that was violent, racist, and homophobic.

The officers attended hospital but handcuffs could not be used to restrain the man due to his injuries and it required three of them to control him. Constable Henry Cawte was already at the hospital for a different matter and was able to step in to assist his colleagues as the man persisted to be verbally offensive, constantly trying to open his wounds, spitting and attempting to be physically abusive. It was necessary for Michael, Vicky, Kat, Sam and Henry to remain at the hospital for six hours before the man received medical treatment. During this mentally and physically challenging period the officers had to repeatedly restrain him whilst also trying to stem the bleeding from his wounds.

The five officers demonstrated outstanding professionalism, dedication and teamwork in dealing with this incident, with an exceptional level of understanding, compassion, restraint and patience whilst faced with almost relentless abuse.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENTS:

POLICE CONSTABLE 569 DERBYSHIRE

POLICE CONSTABLE 418 GREEN

In 2020 Constable Martin Derbyshire and Constable Martin Green executed a number of drugs warrants in Sleaford and the surrounding rural areas after the Sleaford Neighbourhood Policing Team received several pieces of intelligence.

This began in March when the two officers carried out enquiries in the locality and subsequently uncovered a property of interest. The following month Constable Derbyshire carried out a stop and search of a vehicle in Sleaford. A man was found in possession of Class A and Class B drugs with links to the address. The warrant resulted in the discovery of a large cannabis grow with an estimated annual yield in excess of £3 million. Four men with links to organised crime were arrested and subsequently remanded at court. Further links were identified in May to another Cannabis operation and after establishing the exact location five more men were arrested, charged and remanded at court. Later, the officers located premises in Sleaford containing a quantity of Class A drugs and 4 persons were arrested with links to the address. During phone work completed on handsets that had been seized, a further two Cannabis grows were discovered in Boston and a number of people connected to the respective locations were arrested.

PC Derbyshire went on to complete a further five drug warrants in the Sleaford area, all of which led to more arrests and controlled drugs being seized.

This is an outstanding example of proactive police work by these two officers, which has had a massive and disruptive impact on the drug market in the county and has led to some high-profile arrests and convictions. Members of the community have posted comments on social media in praise and support of their diligence, commitment and exceptional teamwork by ridding their local community of large quantities of controlled drugs.

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION

RECIPIENT:

SPECIAL CONSTABLE ELISE KEYWORTH

Elise Keyworth was a Special Constable between February 2019 and October 2021. During that time she demonstrated exemplary dedication, professionalism and commitment to serving the communities of Lincolnshire.

Elise diligently volunteered more than 1,076 hours and completed 134 duties, regularly supporting Lincoln Community Patrol and Response Group B. Her support to policing teams and the emergency services has also been invaluable in helping to keep Lincolnshire safe throughout the global pandemic. Since March 2020, Elise volunteered over 620 hours to policing, whilst continuing to support her regular employment and complete her studies. This was an exceptional achievement at a critical time.

Elise was held in high regard as a very valued colleague during her time as a Special Constable and has subsequently gone on to successfully join the force as a regular police officer.

Elise Keyworth was presented with a Certificate of Recognition to acknowledge the successful completion of her Police Acton Checklist and in achieving independent patrol status within her previous role as Special Constable.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

POLICE CONSTABLE 769 PINNER

Whilst working on a small team based at Stamford Police Station, Constable Jansen Pinner carried out a significant amount of work to research, meticulously plan and carry out a warrant. This work was all done in addition to his day-to-day role as a Response Officer. The warrant was executed at an address in a nearby town where neighbours were being blighted with drug-related anti-social behaviour.

Jansen successfully secured additional staffing from Specialist Teams and Special Constables. On the day itself he delivered an extensive briefing to the whole team, which belied his level of service, to ensure that everyone knew what they were doing and was what was expected of them.

The warrant was executed quickly and efficiently as a result of the level of preparation and leadership that Jansen exhibited on the night. The small property was occupied by six adults and two very young children, and in order to gain entry officers had to run through a pool of sewage leaking from a burst pipe. There was also a strong smell of cannabis inside and Jansen quickly realised that it was not a suitable place for children. Four of the adults were arrested for Conspiracy to Supply Class A drugs, and the children’s parents were also arrested for Child Neglect. Class A drugs, Cannabis and mobile phones were seized from the scene and the two children were immediately safeguarded.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

POLICE CONSTABLE 824 BRAITHWAITE

On 25 November 2019 Lincolnshire Police received two concerning reports involving a young girl and a woman who had been approached by a man known as Carl Potter. Both incidents were of a sexual nature.

The young victim was very worried and frightened. She was joined shortly after by her friend and stuttered as she tried to explain what had happened. They were both wearing obvious school uniform and felt terrified because they thought the offender was going to assault them, based on what Potter was saying and doing.

As the local beat manager Constable Kat Braithwaite was very concerned about these incidents and the possibility of others happening on her area, so she offered to take on what was initially a fairly straight forward investigation. However, a Police National Database check opened up other potential links to Potter. Consequently, Kat believed it necessary to seek a Serious Harm Prevention Order to prevent other females from becoming victims of this serial sex offender. She also liaised with all the identified other forces for bad character evidence to support the order and her own investigation and worked closely with the Protecting Vulnerable Persons team. This generated a massive amount of case paperwork.

The high level of dedication and tenacity demonstrated by Kat resulted in a Serious Harm Prevention Order being granted. This remains valid for an indefinite period and led to Carl Potter being placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The case involving the young girl saw Potter being found guilty of Sexual Communication with a child and he was sentenced to 16 months in prison. After his release he moved to another Force area but continued with his predatory behaviours. The sheer fact the Sexual Harm Prevention Order was in place enabled that Force to quickly arrest Potter for having breached it and he was sent back to prison.

If it had not been for Kat’s diligence and commitment this dangerous offender could have quite easily escaped these offences and the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

POLICE SERGEANT 565 WHYTE

In the early part of 2021, the Neighbourhood Policing Team at North Hykeham was hit hard by sickness and restrictions. Likewise, the North Kesteven team at Sleaford was reduced in numbers and without a sergeant.

During this exceptional period of time Sergeant Ken Whyte took on the supervision of both teams without hesitation. He supported all the staff in the area and proactively assisted officers to continue their work within the community. It is recognised that the whole team pulled together: however, one officer specifically noted of Ken that he had never known a supervisor be more proactively hands-on in supporting his team on the ground. Ken is always at the forefront of policing, whether that be attending incidents, making arrests, or gathering resources for warrants and searches to progress investigations. His inclusive and supportive leadership serves to motivate and encourage positivity across the teams he manages and is testament to the fact that Ken was nominated for this award by his own officers.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENTS:

CONSTABLE 218 NEWBOULT

CONSTABLE 602 WRAY
This commendation is awarded in recognition of the proactive actions of Constable Rob Newboult and Constable Craig Wray in response to a stranger sexual assault series in Lincoln. The victims were lone females and the attacker approached them and struck them with force, before cycling off. The offences had a significant impact on the victims as well as the wider community. Rob noted the description of the offender and from his knowledge as a community beat manager, he immediately thought of a young man known to him from elsewhere in the city, who had recently moved to Lincoln. Rob commenced enquiries with the support workers at the man’s new accommodation. His investigation revealed a pattern of the suspect leaving his accommodation at the time of offences and that he owned a bike and clothing matching the description. Craig reviewed private CCTV footage in the area and identified the man leaving his address at similar times of the offences and matching the description. Rob and Craig arrested him and conducted a search of his accommodation, recovering clothing and a bike matching the description given by victims. He was interviewed for six offences of sexual assault on strangers and the offences stopped with immediate effect.

Rob and Craig demonstrated considerable commitment, knowledge, investigative acumen and skill in identifying and arresting the suspect. Rob was new to the role of community beat manager, but in a matter of only a few weeks had built up an excellent knowledge of the area, which led to this outstanding work. Without such proactive action there would undoubtably have been many more victims of this shocking and significantly impactive crime.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

DETECTIVE CONSTABLE 336 MOSS

In 2017 a threat, harm and risk assessment graded a man as a significant nominal due to his association with drugs, violence and weapons. A series of warrants and intelligence-based actions were undertaken from September to the end of November in areas of Lincoln.

The investigation saw 14 people charged, the last of whom was sentenced on 25 November 2020.

Detective Constable Sam Moss was quick to take ownership of this investigation. She worked diligently and expeditiously whilst systematically and effectively managing large volumes of material. This was a huge task and although Sam worked in the main on this investigation, there were also times when she was needed to assist with processing volume crime prisoners, especially when working at weekends. At times the investigation became overwhelming, but Sam always remained focused and organised. She took the opportunity to seek specialist support in the form of analytical assistance and a drugs expert, in addition to engaging at an early stage with the Crown Prosecution Service. Sam worked closely with several key partners and was complimented on her positive attitude and excellent case preparation throughout.

The man graded as a significant nominal was sentenced to a total of two years’ imprisonment and the forfeiture of more than £3,000 seized.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

POLICE CONSTABLE 1315 BOYCE

In March 2021 officers were deployed to a report of a burglary in progress at an address near Grantham. The elderly occupants of the house were woken by an intruder who had smashed his way into their property, and he began attacking the couple.

Constable Scott Boyce was the closest available officer and on arrival he found the scene was chaotic, with signs of extreme force having been used to gain entry. Scott went into the property before waiting for back-up and found the victims grappling with a male offender. He immediately intervened and took control by restraining the man on the floor and placing him in handcuffs. Scott then reassured and safeguarded the elderly couple, who had both suffered significant injuries during this terrifying ordeal.

Scott demonstrated outstanding professionalism, bravery and compassion by entering a very hostile and dangerous situation on his own, thereby putting his own personal safety at risk.

Since this incident Scott has been promoted to the rank of sergeant.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

POLICE CONSTABLE 1456 CAWTE

In June 2021 Constable William Cawte attended the Intensive Care Unit at Lincoln County Hospital after a male patient had become distressed, delirious, and paranoid. This led him to take a dirty needle from a sharps bin and threaten several members of staff. He then barricaded himself in an office on the ward where he acquired a fork and a pair of scissors. Several hospital staff tried to talk to the man and calm him.

When William arrived on scene, he spoke to the man through the office window and warned him that he had a Taser but was there to help him. He quickly gained the man’s trust and as a result he was allowed access to the office. William sat with the man and continued to positively engage and build further trust, which eventually led to the man returning to his hospital bed and allowing sedation to be administered. The Junior Sister on the Unit made it known that William remained very calm, controlled, and professional throughout.

This was a very stressful and challenging incident and had the potential for serious consequences. Willliam’s composure, confidence and focus on the welfare of the patient and hospital staff resulted in no force being necessary and brought the situation to a swift and safe conclusion.

AREA COMMANDER’S COMMENDATION

RECIPIENT:

SUPERINTENDENT 1258 PACHE
This Area Commander’s Commendation is being presented to Superintendent Lee Pache for outstanding contributions to the West Local Policing Area.

Lee has worked the majority of his career within the West Area of the County, taking up post on what was then West Division in March 2004, where he worked through to May 2011 in the rank of Sergeant, Inspector and Chief Inspector. Following a short period at Headquarters, Lee returned to the newly established West Area in October 2011 until August 2015 in the rank of Chief Inspector and T/Superintendent, before being posted to work on a Blue Light Collaboration, designing and building South Park Police station, the main station for Lincolnshire Police and the first tri-service premises of its kind; bringing together the Ambulance Service, Fire and Rescue Service and the Police service to operate from the same base location. Having led on this fantastic development, Lee returned to the West Area in August 2017 as the substantive operational Superintendent where he has remained until April 2022.

Throughout his time as operational Superintendent Lee has provided support, direction, and leadership in managing the diverse and complex policing challenges the West Area provides. Whilst having led on multiple policing operations, Lee has managed the day-to-day operational response to crime and anti-social behaviour that affect the local communities, with continued success. Leading the professional and dedicated staff across the Area Lee has significantly contributed to ensure this is a safe place to live, work, and visit.