Event History
The Community Police Officer of the Year Award was established as a national event in 1992, to draw public attention to the very positive work being carried out by community police officers – bobbies on the beat who are not attached to high profile units or squads and who rarely make headlines. The award is designed to emphasise that the traditional British bobby who patrols alone, unarmed and on foot, still has an important part to play in an increasingly high-tech and results-driven police service.
Every force in England and Wales, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Scotland, are asked to submit nominations. The award is judged on the basis of personal skills, local initiative to combat crime and the officers working relationships with their communities. Nominations also require evidence of community support for the officer’s work.Traditionally, the award is judged by the Editor of the Jane’s Police Review magazine, the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Chairman of the Police Federation, the President of the Superintendents’ Association, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, a representative of the Association of Police Authorities and Centrex.
All nominees receive an engraved medal and certificate at the award ceremony. The winner receives an engraved gold medal and £3,000 funding for a bursary trip overseas to study community policing in another country.
In 2002, The Probationer of the Year Award was introduced to recognise outstanding personal skills shown by probationers throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The award renamed in 2006 The Student Officer of the Year Award is judged on the probationer’s personal skills in interacting with the public and their practical policing skills including crime investigation, making an arrest and dealing with incidents.
Each student nomination requires evidence of support for the officer’s work from the officer’s tutor or constable endorsed by the Head of Force Training as well as evidence of support from the local community. The award is judged by the Editor of the Jane’s Police Review magazine, the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Chairman of the Police Federation, the President of the Superintendents’ Association, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, a representative of the Association of Police Authorities and Centrex.
All nominees receive an engraved medal and certificate at the award ceremony. The winner receives an engraved gold medal and £1,000 funding for a bursary trip to Europe to study training in a European force.
In 2003 Jane’s Police Review introduced a third award category– the Lifetime Achievement in Policing Award - to honour outstanding personal and operational policing skills shown by officers during their thirty-year career with the police service.
Lifetime Achievement in Policing nominees should be in the last year of his or her service and they must be from the rank of constable, sergeant or inspector. They should have remained operational throughout their career, primarily in a response or shift-based capacity, but can also be a specialist officer. The nominee will also have a reputation for excellence in all areas and in the quality of their work. The nominated officer will have a high professional standing in the community.
The award is judged by the Editor of the Jane’s Police Review magazine, the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Chairman of the Police Federation, the President of the Superintendents’ Association including a representative of the National Association of Retired Officers.
All nominees receive an engraved medal and certificate at the award ceremony. The winner receives an engraved gold medal and a winner’s cup.
The Diversity in Action Award was introduced to the Jane’s Police Review Gala Awards in 2004.
This is a team award to recognise excellent practice in diversity by police forces, leading to successful policing of communities. It will recognise work which encompasses diversity in its widest sense and includes all aspects of equality including gender, race, sexual orientation and disability.
The Diversity in Action Award is supported by the Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales and they will present a cheque for £5,000 to the winning team on the night. The award has an operational focus and reflects the success of the force in engaging with local communities. The award can reflect the way a particular incident was handled or a successful conclusion made to an operation. The team can be made up of both police officers and police staff with an operational theme.
The judging sub-committee for this award is made up of representatives from the Association of Chief Police Officers, Police Federation of England and Wales, Superintendents's Association of England and Wales, H.M. Inspectors of Constabulary, Gay Police Association, National Disabled Police Association, National Black Police Association, British Association of Women in Policing and the National Policing Improvement Agency.
Community Support Officer of the Year Award was introduced last year and reflects the changes in community policing. It recognises the important and evolving contribution that PCSOs are making to neighbourhood policing as they provide reassurance to communities.