GMP’s Chief Constable Annual Awards officially recognises the work of both police officers and staff

A number of police officers and staff have been recognised for their contributions to making the communities in Greater Manchester safer and in protecting those who live there – both on the front line and behind the scenes.

On Friday 27 September 2024 at Emirates Old Trafford, police and police staff came together to celebrate their achievements, with individuals and teams receiving the Chief Constable Award, which highlighted their efforts over the last 12 months.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson personally decided the winners of the 18 individual categories and presented them with the awards on the night.

He said: “The annual awards night is the perfect opportunity to highlight the outstanding efforts and dedication that these inspirational men and women have done over the last year.

“We had an inspiring group of over 200 officers, staff and volunteers, who were nominated across various categories including bravery, innovation and problem solving, among others.

“I am extremely proud of each and every one, who demonstrated exceptional commitment and service to the community, the force and each other – embodying the very best of our force’s values.”

The full list of winners are:

Police Officer of the Year – PC Mohamed Amkeched

Mohammed is highly dedicated as a Neighbourhood Beat Officer (NBO) who has set a high standard for his peers. In 2023, he made 52 arrests, the highest among NBOs in Bolton.

Police Community Support Officer of the Year – David Stirrup

David’s work in child exploitation education has made a significant difference throughout the city to ensure young people are safeguarded by local businesses.

Apprentice of the Year – Trafford DIU Apprentice

The Trafford DIU apprentice has worked for GMP for just over a year and her work with ANPR authority led to a significant increase in alarm activations in Trafford, rising from 58 in April to 2365 by December, resulting in key successes related to drugs, drink driving, and weapon recoveries.

Staff Employee of the Year – Financial Investigator in ECU

She has worked as a financial investigator in GMP’s Economic and Cyber Crime unit for nearly 20 years, has recovered £6 million in assets from criminals through 204 confiscation orders. She also led one of GMP's largest Proceeds of Crime cases, valued at £3.4 million.

Student Officer of the Year – PC Hayward

PC Hayward provided life-saving first aid after a stabbing incident and consistently supports her colleagues, handling a high volume of incidents and excels in crime management.

Special Constable of the Year – SC Jemma Mallon

Jemma has completed 360 hours – more than double the expected commitment – over the last year, strengthening connections between schools and the Neighbourhood Officers, helping at-risk youths and providing safeguarding support.

Team of the Year – Visual Evidence Retrieval & Analysis Unit (VERA) – Detective Sergeant Heidi Cullum, ISO Toby Coshall, ISO Stuart Hynes, ISO Matt Dickinson, ISO Steve Eden, ISO Mark Safranauskas, ISO Steph Fielding, ISO Zoe Clough, ISO Ben Perez-Amaro, ISO Matt Ross, ISO Clare Daly

The Visual Evidence Retrieval and Analysis (VERA) unit is recognised for its exceptional expertise in the trawl, retrieval and analysis of CCTV and other visual evidence, and the unit’s proficiency in the quick-time recovery and examination of CCTV footage significantly aids early offender identification.

Police Volunteer of the Year – Lynne Wilkinson

Lynne is a dedicated volunteer with GMP’s Economic Crime Unit’s Scambuster team, leading fraud prevention events across Manchester, educating vulnerable community members about fraud and cybercrime, and providing advice and support to victims.

Reactive Investigation of the Year – Operation Vestige – Senor Investigating Officer – Detective Chief Inspector Gina Brennand, Deputy Senior Investigating Officer Lee Shaw, Officer in Charge Detective Sergeant Fiona Manning, Intelligence Officer Katie Barrett, VERA - Stephanie Fielding, DIU – Garry Pilkington, DIU - Joseph Whitfield, Analyst - Charlotte Meagher, Phones DC Sam Wilcock, Disclosure - DS Kate Grundy, Disclosure – DC Mick Holloway, Exhibits officer - ISO Amanda Twiss-Jalowiecka,  Outside Enquiries – Detective Constable Deborah Green, Outside Enquiries – Detective Constable Kate Barry, Outside Enquiries – Detective Constable Philip Whiting, Outside Enquiries – Detective Constable Clare Taylor-Pyett, Major Incident Room Manager – Detective Sergeant Mark Evans, Family Liaison Officer – Police Constable Victoria Bird, Reader – Karen Appleton, Indexer – Neeta Mistry, Typist – Simon Kerry

Operation Vestige was a complex investigation into the violent murder of Liam Smith in Wigan.

Proactive Investigation of the Year – Operation Drever - Superintendent Joseph Harrop, Inspector Richard Castley, Sergeant Richard McCorry, Constable Stuart Rawlinson, Constable Stuart Brown, ISO Samantha Kingdom-Quinton, Constable David Clark, Chief Inspector Phillip Kennedy, Sergeant Matthew Donnelly, Sergeant Damian Reed, Sergeant Kat De Sortis, Cain Ashton

Operation Drever was an investigation into a Salford kingpin who was running a violent crime gang from Holland.

Problem Solving – Inspector Natasha Bryan

Natasha has been recognised for her innovative work in problem solving, particularly in reducing repeat missing person incidents from care homes, resulting in a decrease by 19.6% and saving over £4.5 million in officers' time.

Innovation x 3 – Inspector Darren Spurgeon; Inspector Craig Birkhead; Detective Sergeant Steven Gardner

This trio were instrumental in developing an initiative to manage Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) using alerts in the AtHoc platform, which alerts armed response officers about nearby DVPOs – which is now being rolled out across the Specialist Operations Branch.

Brave Officer of the Year x 3 – PC Colin Harrison; PC Nicholas Leach; PC Joseph Dearnley

Colin, Nicholas and Joseph, Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) Officers attended a call to Salford Quays where a woman was in distress in the water, which required the three of them to enter the freezing cold water to save her.

Cadet of the Year – Jack Makinson

Voluntary Police Cadet Unit of the Year – Tameside Voluntary Police Cadet Unit

Cadet Leader of the Year – Dave Roscoe

Unsung Heroes 2024 – Sedgley Park Security Team - Adnan Riaz, David Sutcliffe, Gary Brookes, Gareth Netherwood, Terence Mason, John Holt, Derek Fitton, Dale Ashworth and Dave Kershaw

The team is dedicated to managing high-profile visits, ensuring a secure environment and supporting the local community.

Chief Constable’s Overall Award Winner 2024 – Visual Evidence Retrieval & Analysis Unit (VERA)

VERA received the accolade of Overall Award Winner due to the work they carried out for Operation Harker, in which a man had been murdered and his various body parts disposed of in locations throughout Greater Manchester.