8 BAWP AWARDS


BRAVERY


BRAVERY


Police Constables Shona Beattie and Katie Deas Tayside Police


The incident happened in March 2011 when the officers were sent to a house in a small Scottish village.


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hona and Katie both showed “tremendous bravery” and “courage” when they tackled a man armed with a knife who was threatening to kill himself.


The man was in a very agitated state and despite their efforts to calm him down with the threat of CS incapacitant spray he lashed out. The officers used their CS spray, but it had little effect and he stabbed Shona in the arm. Katie continued to tackle the man with CS spray, despite suffering the effects of the spray herself, while Shona managed to call for help from colleagues by pressing the emergency response button on her airwave terminal. She provided the control room with details of the incident to enable support to be sent. Meanwhile the CS spray began to affect the man who


dropped his knife, but replaced it with a small axe from the kitchen which he tried to strike Katie with. Katie, keeping her CS spray in her hand, talked the man into the living room while also providing a running commentary to colleagues on their way. When support arrived the man was quickly detained and arrested. The courage both Shona and Katie showed, despite being


young in service, enabled them to protect each other and the wider public.


It should also be noted that at the time Katie had just learned


she was pregnant, something she hadn’t yet shared with supervisors, which added an extra dimension to the threat that she faced. 9


Highly Commended: PC Carrie Chapman, Metropolitan Police Service


COMMUNITY SERVICECOMMUNITY SERVICE


Police Constable Raquel Robinson Police Service of Northern Ireland


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aquel has shown “creativity and tenacity” in tackling problems that have daunted others. Her desire to make a “positive difference” to the lives of others in the


community is what makes her truly stand out. Her Choices initiative to tackle high levels of anti-social


behavior in Cookstown, County Tyrone led to a remarkable turn around in the behaviour, re-offending and progression to offending rate of young people. These youngsters were shown what affect throwing stones at cars, abusing people and drinking alcohol, for example, was having on the community. This encouraged them to make positive choices. The activities were recorded throughout a week and participants awarded a graduation certificate at a final ceremony. The project, which was funded with Payback money from the Proceeds of Crime Act, has now been adopted by the majority of PSNI Districts. Raquel also introduced ‘Game for All Cultures’ to tackle


Sectarianism, the most common of all hate crime in her policing area. This sports programme gave 22 youngsters, who were referred by various agencies, the chance to try sports that were perhaps alien to them, given that they were associated with a particular tradition or religion. It also allowed the opportunity to look at the issue of all hate crime in depth. Setting up an Independent Advisory Group to tackle hate


crime and commissioning plays using local actors to address the dangers of under age drinking and cyber bulling have also been on Raquel’s to do list. Both plays were filmed and are available online; they are now being shown in schools across the policing area. 9


Highly Commended: PCSO Samantha Johnson, South Wales Police


GRAPEVINE Autumn 2012


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