MEDALS FOR HEROES
THE ELIZABETH EMBLEM ‘FOR A LIFE GIVEN IN SERVICE’
PFEW’s campaign culminates with the Government announcing that police officers, and all members of UK emergency services, will be recognised by a formal State recognition equivalent to Elizabeth Cross
History was made on 9 March 2024 with the formal introduction of State recognition for police officers who lose their lives in the line of duty. It was announced that the Elizabeth Emblem will be conferred by His Majesty The King to the next of kin in memoriam for their supreme sacrifice in service. The Emblem’s introduction also marks the culmination of four years of hard work by the Police Federation of England and Wales. The Cabinet Office announced that the Elizabeth Emblem will be civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which is awarded to the next of kin of members of the British Armed Forces killed in
36 | POLICE | APRIL | 2024
action. The Elizabeth Emblem will be retrospectively conferred for police officers, and all members of UK emergency services, who have died since 1948.
“We’ve waited for this announcement for a number of years. We launched the Medals for Heroes campaign two years ago which was built upon campaigning we pioneered two years before that.”
THE CAMPAIGN The Medals for Heroes campaign was launched two years ago by the Federation alongside the father of GMP officer Nicola Hughes who was ambushed and killed in a gun and grenade attack along with her
colleague Fiona Bone in 2012. Working closely with PFEW, Bryn Hughes led the calls for the introduction of a formal State recognition for any officer who lost their life while serving the public. The campaign received broad support from over 100 cross- party MPs and most of the England and Wales’ police and crime commissioners. Additional support was also given by chief officers of all 43 forces along with the National
Police Chiefs’ Council and the Police Superintendents’ Association. National Board member and Medals for Heroes campaign lead, John Partington, commented: “We’ve waited for this announcement for a number of years. We
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