Police officers and members of the public on the Isle of Wight have been recognised for going above and beyond.
Awards have been given out to officers, police staff and members of the public for outstanding actions and going above and beyond to protect vulnerable people on the Isle of Wight, at a ceremony in Newport.
The Isle of Wight District Commander’s Awards were hosted by Superintendent Jim Pegler at the Newport Congregational Church.
Supt Pegler welcomed a number of special guests at the event, including Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant Susie Sheldon, and Isle of Wight High Sheriff, Kay Marriott.
Attendees heard of the bravery and dedication of not only police officers and staff from Hampshire Constabulary working on the Island, but also the selfless members of the public who came to the aid of others in their time of need.
Isle of Wight Police Cadets were also at the event, and two of the cadets were presented with their Long Service Awards.
The Volunteer Police Cadets scheme provides a safe environment where young people aged 13-17 can learn as individuals, develop positive relationships with the police and actively support the community. For more details on the Cadets, visit: https://orlo.uk/gUXZF
Police will be highlighting a small selection of case studies from the awards ceremony - and start today by recognising the efforts of off-duty Prison Officer Lee Cleary.
Lee was unfortunately unable to attend the ceremony, however attendees heard that whilst out on a run at Culver Cliff last summer, he encountered a woman on the other side of the railings on the headland.
The woman had harmed herself with a knife.
Lee acted quickly in talking to the woman, ensuring she put the knife down and safely came over to the correct side of the railings.
Following this, he secured the item before calling the police and the suicide prevention team.
Lee was awarded the District Commander’s congratulations for his selfless actions, which saw him protect a vulnerable member of the public, and ensure she was quickly provided with the support she needed.
Speaking at the ceremony, Superintendent Jim Pegler, said:
“Tonight we celebrated the actions of a few officers and the public in terms of where they’ve intervened with people in crisis, or conducted exceptionally good investigations, winning the confidence of the public.
“It’s really important that we recognise when police officers and staff carry out good work because sometimes they forget how much impact they have on other people, so it’s really important that we celebrate the good work and the massive impact that police officers and staff do have in the course of their duties.
“A lot of police work goes unseen, but since I came to the Isle of Wight in January this year, I’ve been amazed by some of the excellent hard work, and the dedicated staff that we have here who make the Isle of Wight a safe place to visit, and live and work in.
“I’m really proud of what the staff do, and it’s really nice to take the time today to recognise some of that achievement.”
PCSO Lisa Paul has been recognised at the Isle of Wight District Commander’s Awards for going the extra mile in supporting an elderly and vulnerable man in Cowes.
Earlier this year the man, who is aged in his 80s and suffering dementia, attended the local library to report that he had been pushed to the floor and had his wallet stolen.
Officers from the Cowes Neighbourhood Policing Team subsequently visited the man at his home address, where he lived alone with his dog.
Attending officers became concerned with his living conditions, and over the following days PCSO Paul made a number of return visits to see what she could do to help out, including visiting him after he was involved in a collision. Fortunately, he was uninjured.
During one impromptu visit, Lisa found him collapsed on the floor and unable to move. It’s not known how long he had been in this position, and Lisa called for an ambulance.
The man refused medical treatment, but was visited by health care professionals the following day, who took him to hospital after finding him collapsed again.
Lisa then took it upon herself to visit the man’s home address twice a day to look after his dog, and remained in contact with the man to reassure him of his pet’s security.
She also made a number of phone calls to family members and other organisations to try and find alternative accommodation for the dog, before locating a temporary shelter four days later.
While the man remained in hospital, Lisa visited him to share videos and photos of his dog with him.
Her support and hospital visits continued for two weeks, and during this period Lisa also liaised with health care professionals and the man’s letting agents to assist in his recovery and find him a new and safer home to live in.
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