Celebrating outstanding acts of public service at our Force Awards
The Force Awards returned on Wednesday 23 October in recognition of outstanding examples of courage, dedication, innovative thinking and tenacity.
The event saw individuals receive awards for their exceptional demonstration of public service in front of family, friends, colleagues and chief officers.
From single-handedly arresting a violent offender and administering emergency first aid, to protecting the vulnerable through innovation and securing convictions through rigorous investigation, the awards ceremonies shone a light on the breadth of police work taking place every day.
Our police officers are trained to think and respond quickly and clearly in high-risk situations, but it’s much harder to teach somebody to be courageous in the face of danger. PC Christopher Hinchliffe, recipient of a Chief Constable Commendation, demonstrated real courage in October 2023 when he was first on scene at a distressing domestic incident involving a violent person. Arriving within four minutes of the call and without any back-up, PC Hinchliffe arrested the offender and handcuffed them to a railing outside the property in Brean. This allowed him to enter the property safely and give emergency CPR to the victim, remaining calm and controlled at all times. Thanks to his quick-thinking actions, he was able to preserve as much forensic evidence as he could, allowing justice to be served in court. The offender received a life sentence with a minimum term of 14 years.
PC Hinchliffe said: “I’m incredibly honoured to receive this award. Although I was the first to arrive, it was a huge team effort that led to the offender receiving a life sentence in court.
“This was a tragic incident, which is incredibly sad for the victim’s family left behind. In accepting this award, my thoughts will be with them.”
It’s not only police officers who display significant personal courage to protect others. Mark Bradshaw, who works in a police staff role as Electronic Performance Support Developer, also earned a Chief Constable Commendation for going above and beyond to save a life. In August 2023, Mark was enjoying an evening with friends in Weston-super-Mare when he was approached to help a victim of a knife crime incident. Without a first aid kit or professional assistance, he was able to improvise and provide life-saving treatment. The ambulance paramedic, who arrived 20 minutes later, commended his actions, stating: “I believe it was the actions of Mark that saved the man’s life.”
Also among the award-winners were Amy Samotyj and Jordan Coates from the Fraud Protect Team, who created a fraud prevention tool to help tackle the growing threat of gift-card related fraud. Their innovation and passion to help protect vulnerable people from organised crime is inspiring.
Another inspiration is Detective Constable Lucinda Darby, who received two Crown Court Commendations for her professionalism and resilience during two challenging cases – one involving indecent images and the other targeting an organised crime network. Both cases resulted in successful prosecutions thanks to Lucinda’s impressive investigative work.
She said: “I feel incredibly proud of the hard work that went into each of these cases. It was important for me to get the right outcome for the communities we serve but also for the victims and potential future victims. Both cases, while different, had a profound effect on the community and I hope I’ve helped to make North Somerset feel like a safer place to live.”
Excellent teamwork was also recognised at the Force Awards. The Glastonbury Neighbourhood Policing Team, Licensing Team and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Team won an Angela Yeoman Award for improving community safety in the town. Under the leadership of Sgt Simon Lancey and PCSO Supervisor Bea Gane, the team developed a detailed problem-solving plan to help tackle high levels of crime and ASB in Glastonbury. Each team member focused on a different area, from delivering interventions and safeguarding to enhancing community engagement. Their unwavering commitment led to a reduction in reported crime in the town centre by 26 per cent and ASB by 17 per cent between September 2022 and September 2023. The team’s work also improved public confidence, with the local community responding positively to the tangible difference made to the town.
Sgt Lancey said: “The team should be quite rightly proud of this award, which recognises the hard work and dedication involved in policing our communities.
“Working alongside different police departments and partner agencies, we all agree that we were simply doing our job.
“Glastonbury is a vibrant community we are passionate about serving. The use of different police powers, council powers and engagement at all levels led to a substantial reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour, and the presentation of this award allows us to pause and reflect on the difference we’ve made to the people of Avon and Somerset.”
Chief Constable Sarah Crew, who spoke at the event, said: “Award ceremonies are always a special occasion, and this is no different.
“We’ve heard so many fantastic stories of bravery, problem-solving, crime prevention and compassionate victim care.
“This is an opportunity to amplify what’s so brilliant about policing.”
Here is a full list of our award-winners on the day:
Angela Yeoman Award
This award is for anyone who shows outstanding initiative and continuous support and commitment to increasing community safety in the local area.
- Fraud Protect Officer Amy Samotyj
- Regional Fraud Protect Advisor Jordan Coates
- Police Sergeant Simon Lancey
- PCSO Supervisor Bea Gane
- Police Constable James Higgins
- Police Constable Hannah Hill
- Police Constable Katie Moyse
- PCSO Mel Rowlands
- PCSO Amy Higgs
- PCSO Nik Burge
- Licensing Officer Nicola King
- ASB Co-ordinator Julie Crockett
- ASB Support Officer Liz Thomas
Chief Constable Commendation
This award recognises significant personal courage or significant initiative and/or commitment in the execution of duty far and beyond what should normally be expected.
- Detective Constable Stuart Brooks
- Police Constable Max Fulcher
- Electronic Performance Support Developer Mark Bradshaw
- Police Constable Ben Slade
- Police Constable Christopher Hinchliffe
- Police Constable Luke Guy
Crown Court Commendation
This award recognises outstanding dedication to the preparation of a case ready for court, or an exceptional contribution during the events of a trial, awarded to individuals at the discretion of the trial judge.
- Designated Investigating Officer / Detective Constable Lucinda Darby
- Detective Constable Adele Shallcross
- Detective Sergeant Mark Bryant
- Detective Constable Andy Bath
- Police Constable Mark Pollock
- Police Constable Nikki Adams
- Police Constable Tom Highton
- Police Constable Tony Warren
- Detective Inspector Claire Smith
- Major Crime Investigation Officer Catharine Wilkes
- Detective Constable Stuart Brooks
- Detective Sergeant Rachel Alford
- Detective Constable Gary Forster
- Visual Investigation Technician Gary Dark
- Detective Constable Elisabeth Jacobs
- Police Constable Joanne Manning
- Police Constable Maz Burnell
- Police Constable Melissa Warren
- Detective Sergeant Katherine Lewis
- Detective Constable Simon McFall
- Detective Inspector Nadine Partridge
