I am nominating Laura for a Wow award as she recently went above and beyond her role to improve the life of a vulnerable young woman. Laura works closely with those working with victims of domestic abuse. In November Laura became aware of a young female who has recently moved from ‘the other end of the country’ away from family and friends because of domestic violence and was extremely vulnerable. She has been refused a Council grant and the appeal has also been refused. She has no furniture and nothing on the floor, (no carpets or coverings at all) she has no bed, washer or fridge, or anything to make the place ‘cosy’. Laura sent out requests using the internal circulator to all staff asking for their help. Laura and everyone in our team have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown by staff and the large numbers of donations of all sorts of furniture and homeware. Laura organised for donations to be stored and distributed. She also liaised with estates who offered a wide range of furniture from the old hostel blocks, ensuring unwanted furniture was given to those who need it. Laura’s initiative and kindness has not only improved the life of vulnerable people in our community but also shown the kindness displayed by police officers and staff across the force area.

PC Payne came accross an RTC at Leadgate involving an elderly gentlemen. This males car was hit causing extensive damage by another vehicle who had left the scene without stopping. Following an area search PC Payne found a section of the offending vehicle and I believe through due diligence and exceptional police work, identified the offender from a portion of that car tracing its origin through a vw/audi supply chain. A marker was put on the part in an attempt to identify the driver/owner which proved successful. The vehicle and the driver were identified intially stating that they had hit a static object. Confronted with the evidence a full and frank admission was made. That person was subsequently reported. I believe PC Payne demonstrated excellent police skills not only in identifying the offender but helping the victim claim for repairs through insurances without any unnesecary expense to him, a total victim satisfaction achieved and an investigation which has given me some fantastic pointers for future referrence. PC Payne detected a crime from a small printed number on a piece of plastic. Victim satisfaction unmeasurable.

Myself and the rest of the team would like to nominate Alan for his commitment and dedication in addressing a convoluted and complex neighbourhood dispute involving a number of households. This is an ongoing situation that has placed a significant demand on police resources. Given the almost daily calls made to the organisation from each household involved. Alan has taken a primary role at tackling this issue, obtaining a number of key statements and engaging with partner agencies. His dedication and drive supports the force vision of protecting neighbourhoods and solving problems. He is a role model to the rest of the team, hence the nomination.

Dianne works as a mentor in the Intergrated offender management unit at Darlington. As part of the team Dianne takes an active role in working with offenders. She always makes a positive contribution and is willing to go that extra mile. She often works beyond her working hours in order to get the job done. Her willingness and hard working approach are clear to see and allow officers within the unit to focus on other areas of work. She always work with an open mind/positive attitude which allows her to form strong rapports/relationships with clients who are generally hard to reach and builds trust. In recent months Dianne has made such an impact on one client who was a prolific offender, that he has been through recovery and is now a volunteer mentor for recovering addicts in the Peterlee area. Dianne is currently mentoring another client who has a number of medical issues but fails to manage the illness correctly possibly through choice. Although he has support workers Dianne has taken it upon herself to research the illness and is fully aware of what he needs to do to remain stable. She has also become a point of contact with the support workers who contact her on a regular basis for advice regarding the illness (diabetes). In conclusion I feel that Dianne makes a positive contribution every day to the goals of Durham Constabulary and the rehabilitation of offenders. Dianne would fully deserve a WOW award.

Acting as the Sergeant for PC Donnelly, I was requested by comms to contact the IP, Mr Dolan, following an incident on 7th November 2012. During the conversation, the IP reflected upon an incident where Mick Donnelly had dealt with a highly intoxicated gentleman who had caused himself an injury having left a wine bar. Mr Dolan felt it necessary to contact police upon his return home, having observed and interacted personally with Mick over a period of approximately 20 minutes whilst Ambulance crew were travelling. Mr Dolan described Mick as “fantastic” and a “credit to the police”, by the virtue of his professionalism and manner, under what Mr Dolan describes as quite a pressurised situation fuelled by intoxicated associates of the injured gentleman. Mr Dolan is an elderly gentleman, an ex-special constable 50yrs since, and wanted Mick to be recognised formally for his actions. Mr Dolan was not in a position personally to use the internet to nominate PC Donnelly, therefore i have submitted this on his behalf. I confirm that the above is a true account of what Mr Dolan has provided.

on 17/10/12 PCSO Parker was leaving the front office at Durham and saw an elderly male sat in the office who seemed confused. He discovered that the man had bought some trousers and decided to leave the shop in them, leaving his old trousers with his house keys in them at the shop which had then closed for the night. PCSO Parker asked me to take him to the mans address to help him to gain access to his property. On arrival at the address, it became very apparent that we would not be able to gain entry. I called a local locksmith who said he would be 30 mins. The man, who was very unsteady on his feet and was using a stick to walk, had to be helped in and out of the police van several times and we kept him in the van to keep warm on the chilly evening. The way that PCSO Parker spoke to the man who appeared to have some dementia issues was above and beyond his duty. He was very patient and caring and understanding and we were with him for over 2 hours. Once entry was gained to the house, the man kept PCSO Parker busy with his stories from his younger days as a Doctor at the university and PCSO Parker was very considerate and patient. The following day, PCSO Parker attended the shop where the male had bought his trousers from and collected his old ones and took them to his home address. Unfortunately due to his dementia, the elderly gentleman had no recollection of the event and did not recognise PCSO Parker. I would like to say that PCSO Parkers actions left me with a WOW feeling and I was very impressed and proud of how he had treated the man. This is the first nomination I have made for the WOW awards and I think this goes to show how impressed I was.

An elderly lady fell over at the side of the road breaking her glasses, injuring her knee, and cutting her face. Gill stopped her car, assisted the lady and put her in her vehicle. She then drove her to a safer place and waited until the ambulance arrived. Throughout the incident Gill was caring and reassuring which helped keep the lady calm. Although a number of people were present Gill was the only one who acted upon what had happened.

On 2/11/12 PC Renshaw attended an immediate response incident after a disturbance was reported on a service bus involving a number of people fighting. Upon his arrival the assailants dispersed and PC Renshaw took control of the scene and coordinated a search of the area in an attempt to locate the suspect. PC Renshaw spoke to numerous IPs and witnesses on the bus taking details of those involved. The assault had been totally unprovoked after passengers chastised the suspects for using offensive language. PC Renshaw then ensured that he provided care and empathy to those who were injured before obtaining multiple witness statements over several days. PC Renshaw travelled outside the hub to Hunwick to ensure that all the key statements were obtained, going the extra mile and taking care to produce a first class package ready for the arrest of the suspects. Feedback from one of the IPs was highly complimentary with regards to PC Renshaws calm attitude in dealing with the incident and the care given to himself and the others involved. NPT officers also evidenced the first class quality of the handover package which was complete and resulted in the suspects being charged with the offences at the first opportunity. A fist class piece of compassionate police work putting the victims at the fore front of the investigation.

Jackies role is to support victims of sexual and domestic violence through the criminal justice process, encouraging them to remain engaged, as well as ensuring they have access to follow-on services where required. Jackie is currently dealing with one particularly vulnerable young woman who has struggled more than most in coming to terms with her circumstances. Jackie has supported this lady by referring her into appropriate therapeutic services, as she does with all her victims, but I feel she has gone the extra mile on this occasion as she gave advice, signposted, and supported the lady in accessing hospital treatment in relation to a pregnancy which resulted from the offence. Not only did Jackie accompany the victim to her appointments, she also stayed with her in the hospital on the day of the termination, which in my opinion, is worthy of this nomination.

Tanya attended a suicide on 20th May 2012 in Bishop Auckland where a husband/father hanged himself in the family home. The male was found by his wife and children. This was quite understandably a very difficult time for the family and Tanya has gone above and beyond her role putting the family in touch with bereavement councillors from the If U Care Share Foundation. She has also carried out several follow up visits and the family have been to see her since to pass on their thanks and to seek further advice. On top of this Tanya, realising the shortfall in advice available to officers dealing with similar situations has arranged for a number of leaflets to be available for officers and has placed several in prominent positions around the station as well as emailing officers electronic versions where available.There is no doubting that Tanya has gone beyond her role on this occassion and has made a significant contribution to the family at an incredibly distressing time. She has left the family with an extremely positive view of Durham Constabulary.

I wish to nominate David Patterson in Media Processing for his continual helpfulness and professionalism in his production of CCTV evidence for the Major Crime Team. David always accepts work, even at very short notice, and does his best to return the media product in very short timescales. His presentation of evidence is of a very high standard, presenting CCTV in a user-friendly format, but always delivering the evidence in a professional manner, promoting the reputation of Durham Constabulary. During the past year, David has produced excellent work in some high profile cases. During Operation Gulfportcity David produced CCTV showing a sequence of events which involved showing the movements of victim and suspect simultaneously on a split screen. This evidence directly led to a guilty plea to Manslaughter, and received the highest praise from the prosecution barrister for the presentation. During a more recent case, Operation Salvador, David devoted approx 15 hours work over 3 days to prepare a compilation DVD of several sources of CCTV which, when put together, formed a visual sequence of events which became the backbone of evidence. This CCTV assisted to explain the events over a period of 5 days, corroborating other evidence including ANPR, telephone cell site analysis, forensic evidence, house to house and suspects’ movements around the country. This evidence has been applauded by CPS. It is also to be used as an example of good practice by the training department for the Operations SIO course to demonstrate how several strands of policing can be brought together and combined in a format suitable for presentation purposes.

Paul is an excellent communicator dealing with people who come into custody in the most appropriate and humane manner. Two examples from the past seven days. 1-female arrested for assault, suffering from cancer,was crying on arrival in custody. Paul used humour and empathy to calm the lady down and even got her to laugh as a result of the way he spoke to her. He made her situation far more manageable by the way he made her feel and how she was treated. 2-we inherited a female in the cells who clearly had mental health and alcohol related issues having threatened officers with a knife. Paul treated her properly throughout her time in custody as she was in right across a weekend. The lady took the time to find out when Paul was back on duty and rang to thank him for the way he had treated her despite what she had done...I think that is truly amazing and great evidence of respect for race and diversity at the highest level.

PCs 110 Gary Barnes and 2202 Joanne Craig attended the sudden and unexpected death of a man on 29th March 2012. While dealing with the incident in a professional and calm manner the two officers also offered invaluable assistance in the recovery of a car owned by the deceased and advice to the family regarding personal possessions and his estate. Further more the officers went on to clean the area where the deceased had been lying after undertakers had left. These circumstances have been relayed to me by a family member. Their actions have definitely hepled the family in their grieving and gone on to support the family in the what next stage. They have gone beyond what could reasonably be expected and the Maclean family believe the service by the police was exceptional. This is a large family who is well connected throughout Horden and service such as this can only go on to improve confidence in the police and satisfaction with contact. Well done

On 14th March 2012 Pcso 7437 Patterson was on full uniformed duty conducting foot patrol when he was confronted with a difficult and concerning incident. A female collapsed in front of him and sustained superficial injuries to her face. Trevor picked her up and escorted her home and arranged for the injuries to be treated by a paramedic. Whilst at the premises Trevor became aware that her husband was in the late stages of Huntingdon’s disease and through effective communication identified that she was his sole carer. Trevor also discovered that she had been struggling to cope with the stresses of her situation and had been self medicating by means of excessive alcohol consumption. Trevor also identified that she was not taking appropriate care of herself by not eating regular meals as she was extremely under weight. Whilst paramedics were treating her, it was identified that her blood sugar was low and she was recommended to have something to eat. Trevor then took it upon himself to leave the address and purchase a Mars bar for her to eat which she really appreciated. Realising that further support was needed, he liaised with the local doctors via the paramedic to activate a community care plan which involved respite care and overnight occasional stays for her husband at a nearby hospital. Trevor also then submitted all necessary concern forms to update social services of the circumstances. Trevor still regularly makes impromptu visits to the address to check on the lady which I know she appreciates and it is refreshing to see someone care about persons in difficulty in their dedicated beat area and going the extra mile to help. Actions like this also go along way in raising the profile of Durham Constabulary and increasing public satisfaction and confidence. I personally believe that this excellent work should be recognised by means of a wow award.

PC POOL recently attended the scene of a serious road traffic collision whereby a young girl playing in the street had run into the side of a car and sustained a broken leg (tibia and fibula).At the scene PC POOL acted in a calm and reassured manner, giving all relevant advice and support not only to the young child but also to her parents.In the following days PC POOL took the time to attend Sunderland Hospital, on rest days, to visit the child taking in a gift and card.This has left an absolutely fantastic impression on all people involved in this young girls life, as it is obvious that PC POOL has gone far beyond what could be expected as part of his duties.

I wish to nominate several staff members of IT because of the phenomanel customer service I have experienced from them in recent months and which continues to give me the WOW factor. In relation to Richard, he has been instrumental in assisting with the laptop requirements I have needed in recent months, giving advice and recommendations which have benefit the business area for which I am responsible. More recently he has assisted me with the Metal Theft team requirements and once again I have experienced fantastic customer service from him/the dept. Thank you.

I wish to nominate several staff members of IT because of the phenomanel customer service I have experienced from them in recent months and which continues to give me the WOW factor. In relation to Joanne, she has been instrumental in assisting with the CJU/WCU centralisation moves. Without her expertise/advice and recommendations the moves simply would not have been as effective. She has a wonderful professional persona and it is a pleasure to work with her. More recently she has assisted me with the Metal Theft team requirements and once again I have experienced fantastic customer service from her/the dept. Thank you.

I wish to nominate several staff members of IT because of the phenomanel customer service I have experienced from them in recent months and which continues to give me the WOW factor. In relation to Ian he has been instrumental in assisting with CJU/WCU centralisation and without his assistance the moves would simply not have gone as well as they did. He worked with me and provided necessary support and completed the tasks within the deadlines. More recently he has assisted me with the Metal Theft team requirements and once again I have experienced fantastic customer service from him/the dept. Thank you.

I nominate Rob Richardson because of the committment he has demonstrated to C relief at Durham. Rob has given many hours of duty to the shift and has become an extension of our team. Recently since leaving university he has worked with the team and has been working full time hours. His committment is worthy of recognition and praise and he would be a worthy recipient of this wow award. Rob is very highly regarded by his full time colleagues,

Whilst the work of many has been acknowledged throughout the restructure of Durham Constabulary the hard work of the Origin Team has had little recognition. Not only have Ian and Malcolm facilitated the process through timely restructure within the HR system, they have proactively assisted in the creation of reporting mechanisms to assist with management of optimum staffing numbers through the revised NIM Resource Mobility process. There is no doubt that this will facilitate effective resource management within the Altogether Forward model. They continue to drive forward change and are taking a lead in the development of revised processes for the alignment of the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit. Regardless of the demand of the day job both always find the time to assist. To summarise; this nomination for a WOW awards is for their innovation, creativity, commitment and dedication to the continuing development of Durham Constabulary.

I would like to nominate Ben for his work in my local community. I had suffered problems with nuisance neighbours and off road bikes driving dangerously near people and horses. Ben contacted me almost immediately to get the full details and issued a warning notice to those involved. He has since kept in contact to make sure there was no more issues in the neighbourhood. I was pleased at both the quick response, time and effort Ben has put in.

I am routinely in receipt of positive feedback from people in relation to many aspects of Joes work. A lot of this comes from members of visiting forces who use Joe as a first point of contact if they have any issues. This week members of Cumbria Constabulary have praised Joe for his assistance in helping their course run smoothly. This has taken the form of him preparing their areas of work and making petrol bombs. This type of praise is routine and has been echoed by the Sgt in charge of Cleveland Polices Public Order Training. To sum Joes positive attitude up (with both members of the constabulary and external members) I recently heard him being referred to as the most happy and positive member of Durham Constabulary.

Id like to nominate Sarah Roffey for her excellent work in setting up and managing the Service Bureau at Police HQ Durham. She was asked at very short notice to work with Laura Purves from the same Branch and Rachel Forster from the Business Change Branch and set up a Victim Service Bureau to provide members of HQ based police staff with an opportunity to work directly with victims of crime and learn more about their needs. Sarah brought all of her knowldege and understanding of the issues into play and very quickly set up a room, organised the staff moves to make the space, worked with Laura and Rachel to design and test processes and then trained the people. Despite already heavy work loads, within the space of two weeks from the moment that the job was allocated members of staff were making contact directly to victims of crime. The learning from the Service Bureau work has been immense and the idea is now being taken forward into operational centres working with volunteers. Sarahs work has been acknowledged by the Chief Officer Team who have visited the service bureau. I have no hesitation in recommending Laura Purves for this WOW award together with Laura Purves and Rachel Forster.

Id like to nominate Laura Purves for her excellent work in setting up and managing the Service Bureau at Police HQ Durham. She was asked at very short notice to work with the Sarah Roffey and Rachel Forster from the Business Change Branch and set up a Victim Service Bureau to provide members of HQ based police staff with an opportunity to work directly with victims of crime and learn more about their needs. Laura works on surveys to assess levels of public confidence and victim satisfaction with policing services. She brought all of the knowldege into play and very quickly set up a room, organised the staff moves to make the space, worked with Rachel and Sarah to design and test processes and then trained the people. Despite already heavy work loads, within the space of two weeks from the moment that the job was allocated members of staff were making contact directly to victims of crime. The learning from the Service Bureau work has been immense and the idea is now being taken forward into operational centres working with volunteers. Lauras work has been acknowledged by the Chief Officer Team who have visited the service bureau. I have no hesitation in recommending Laura Purves for this WOW award together with Sarah Roffey and Rachel Forster.

Id like to nominate Rachel Forster for her excellent work in setting up and managing the Service Bureau at Police HQ Durham. Rachel is working on projects to do with volunteering and victim satisfaction as part of her job. She was asked at very short notice to work with the Laura Purves and Sarah Roffey from the Performance Branch and set up a Victim Service Bureau to provide members of HQ based police staff with an opportunity to work directly with victims of crime and learn more about their needs. Rachel had previously worked for the AA and has considerable experience in designing and managing processes, in addition to training members of staff in contacting members of the public by telephone. She brought all of the experience into play and very quickly set up a room, organised the staff moves to make the space, worked with Rachel and Sarah to design and test processes and then trained the people. Within the space of two weeks from the moment that the job was allocated members of staff were making contact directly to victims of crime. The WOW factor here is; before she took on this work Rachel was already working to capacity, this new work took a considerable amount of effort which, and despite additional pressures in her private life, Rachel did with high levels of enthusiasm, energy and professionalism. The learning from the Service Bureau work has been immense and Rachel is now taking it forward by helping to set up similar Bureaux in operational centres with volunteers. Her work has been acknowledged by the Chief Officer Team who have visited the service bureau. I have no hesitation in recommending Rachel Forster for this WOW award together with Sarah Roffey and Laura Purves.