Service honoured by Queen

The Queen has recognised contributions to policing and justice from across the police service in her New Year Honours.

Recipients ranged from long-standing special constables, police officers of all ranks, police staff and police authority figures. Former chair of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Bob Jones, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and former chair of Hertfordshire Police Authority,

Ian Laidlaw Dickson, was appointed OBE.

APA Chairman Rob Garnham said: “Bob’s CBE is highly deserved. His spirit and his understanding of community issues, developed through his well-established background as a local councillor, meant that he was able to offer a unique perspective on how policing should be improved on behalf of local people.”

Among the senior ranks of policing, Association of Chief Police Officers’ vice president and Humberside Chief Constable Tim Hollis was appointed CBE. Police officers and staff from Northern Ireland were well represented in the honours list to whom chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Barry Gilligan, offered his congratulations.

Police staff Gordon Curry and Pearl Palmer were both appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE); while three officers were awarded the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM).
Mr Gilligan said: “The Honours announced for these Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) staff and officers recognise the commitment and service to the community and I offer warmest congratulations to all.”

Former PSNI Deputy Chief Constable, Paul Leighton, was appointed CBE. Mr Leighton retired from policing in 2009 after 29 years service.

“This honour recognises the substantial contribution he made during a distinguished policing career,” Mr Gilligan added.

Three British Transport Police (BTP) officers featured in the Queen’s New
Year’s Honours were Assistant Chief Constable Steve Thomas and Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Field, both awarded QPMs, and Superintendent John Hennigan appointed an MBE. BTP Chief Constable Andy Trotter said: “I would very much like to congratulate Steve Thomas, Mick Field and John Hennigan on their achievement. This recognition is very well deserved.

“ACC Thomas has built up an international reputation for his work in football policing and is now leading BTP’s planning for the 2012 Olympics and well
as the overall national transport policing strategy. Steve is a trusted colleague and we are fortunate to have someone with such expertise in events policing.

“Detective Chief Superintendent Field is a highly experienced, dedicated and successful detective as his work with West Yorkshire Police as well as with BTP has proven again and again. I think what is most remarkable about him is his personal commitment to the victims with whom he has dealt and BTP is lucky to have the services of an officer of his calibre.

“Superintendent Hennigan’s long and outstanding service to the community in London, and his unstinting loyalty to the police service remains an example to all.”

Others appointed OBE were:

Derek Forest – Detective Superintendent, West Midlands Police.
Diana Fulbrook – Chief Officer, Wiltshire Probation Area, Ministry of
Justice.
Susan Hall – Chief Officer, West Yorkshire Probation Area, Ministry of
Justice.
Ian Laidlaw-Dickson – Chairman, Hertfordshire Police Authority.
Victor Marshall – Detective Superintendent, Sussex Police and
Adviser to the Home Office.
Gerard Smyth – For services to the police in the North East.
Alexander Tait – Lately Governing Governor, HM Young Offenders’
Institution Castington, Northumberland, HM Prison Service, Ministry of Justice.
Ailsa Beaton – Director of Information, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Directorate of Information. 

Others appointed CBE were: