Former Oldham PC feels ‘honoured’ to have won new award

A former Police Constable from the Oldham district has been crowned GMP’s inaugural Response Officer of the Year.

Lee Sweetman, who is now a PC at Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW), was presented with a certificate to mark his achievement by the district’s Chief Superintendent Chris Goodman-Bowen on Monday 26 June 2023.

The presentation coincided with the start of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Response Policing Week of Action.

Officers from across the districts were put forward for the inaugural award by their Chief Superintendents.

An awards panel subsequently selected PC Sweetman as the standout nominee.

PC Sweetman said: “It is an honour and a privilege to be GMP’s first Response Officer of the Year. There are fantastic Response officers in every district at GMP.

“Response officers across the force do an amazing job on the frontline day in, day out to keep the people of Greater Manchester safe.

“To have won this award ahead of thousands of other officers who would have been worthy winners is by far the biggest and best recognition I have ever been given.”

As well as gaining the title of GMP’s Response Officer of the Year, PC Sweetman was put forward for a national award. The inaugural NPCC Response Officer of the Year will be announced in due course.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle, GMP's Head of Local Policing, added: “Prior to his recent move to CTPNW, Lee was the exemplar of response policing for Greater Manchester.

“He displayed a professional approach to the development of student officers through his role as a Tutor Constable, maintaining high standards which officers in his company took with them when signed off as independent.

“PC Sweetman was held in high regard by his response supervision and peers, delivered a high-quality service to our communities and was a role model for peers across the service.”