A cop who helped put Burton burglars behind bars after stopping and searching them before the crime was committed has been awarded for her police work.
PC Collette Harrison, of local policing south, and Debra Hayes, of People Services, have both received their Staffordshire Police Force Awards in recognition of their work.
The prestigious annual event, held at the County Showground, recognises and rewards police officers, staff, members of the Special Constabulary and volunteers for their hard work and continued dedication in helping to keep communities safe and reassured.
PC Harrison, who was nominated by Sergeant Giles Harper, was awarded the Problem Solving/Leadership Award. The award comes after she stopped and searched two men, Neil Wakelam and Robert Duffey, in November 2015.
They were together on foot and gave an account of why they were there. The search did not uncover anything but the intelligence system was updated along with their descriptions.
The following morning, a burglary was reported in Rolleston Lane, Burton, approximately 100 metres from where the two men had been stopped and searched. A Range Rover and a safe were stolen.
Response officers attended with forensics and the matter was closed. PC Harrison became aware of the incident and re-started inquiries into the burglary.
The property which was burgled was undergoing renovation work and PC Harrison liaised with the contractor who raised concerns about a labourer who had called in sick for a few days. That person was Duffey.
Then, 10 days after the burglary, the Range Rover was involved in a collision in the West Midlands and DNA profiling brought others into the inquiry who were known associates of Wakelam. PC Harrison pieced together fragments of circumstantial evidence to build a picture sufficient to bring charges.
A spokesman said: "PC Harrison adopted a victim-focused approach throughout. Thanks to her steely determination, the offenders, including Wakelam and Duffey, were convicted at Stafford Crown Court in July 2017 and sentenced to prison."
Collecting The Staffordshire Police Unison Award was Debra Hayes, who was nominated by Chief Inspector Rob Neeson.
Debra has been the human resource officer for the south eastern area of local policing for six years and during this time she has built an "excellent knowledge of the police officers and staff" while providing commanders with a comprehensive knowledge of policy and the law.
A spokesman said: "Deb can always be relied upon to provide balanced and sound advice when dealing with often quite complex and delicate people issues.
"Efficient, knowledgeable and dedicated, Deb has overcome some medical issues herself, combating a serious illness with great courage and resilience returning to work promptly and throwing herself back into the challenge with her normal high level of energy and positive attitude.
"Quietly unassuming Deb is passionate about looking after "her cops and staff", working diligently to support their wellbeing when they are recovering from sickness or just providing a calm and considerate shoulder to cry on."
During her time with the force, Debra has had to deal with multiple cases of officers and staff having serious injuries on duty or suffering severe illness, with several dying.
The spokesman said: "Throughout what is a traumatic time for families and colleagues, Deb has provided immeasurable support, showing great compassion and empathy. She has visited several officers who have suffered terminal illness at home and while they were in a hospice to provide care and support.
"At the most traumatic of times, officers and their families have taken great comfort in her support and have valued the time she has spent with them."
Staffordshire Police Chief Constable Gareth Morgan hosted the awards ceremony which was sponsored by Boeing.
He said: "It's a real privilege to be hosting my first force awards and celebrating with colleagues who exemplify our values for hard work, integrity, care and compassion.
"I'm proud to be recognising such great work in the service of the public we serve. I would like to congratulate them all for their professionalism, dedication and service."
