Picture perfect as awards recognise commitment

Awards were handed out for excellence in police photography last week by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) at its Forensics Awards Day.

The awards were presented in a special ceremony held at Durham Cathedral on September 2, 2010, including the 2010 Police Photographer of the Year Award and Student of the Year Award. More than 37 different forces were represented.

Neil Kitson, from West Yorkshire Police, scooped the Police Photographer of the Year 2010 award for his ‘Nightwatch’ image. Second was Brian Platt from Hampshire Constabulary for his

‘Nissan Micra light landing’ picture and in third place was James Gartrell from Sussex Police for his ‘Immediate Response’.

Stuart Brown, Leicestershire Constabulary, won Crime Scene Photographer of the Year for his ‘Fingerprint Development’.

The event aims to promote excellence in police photography and reward high-quality images of operational policing.

Winning entries combined artistic ability and creative techniques to make an interesting photograph to promote forensics effectively.

Chief Constable Peter Neyroud, chief executive of the NPIA, said: “As crime and police work becomes more complex, the role of forensics is increasingly important. It is therefore vital that we pay tribute to those receiving forensic awards and diplomas today. They have all demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment and skill to achieve these awards which are a significant milestone in their careers.”

The awards were sponsored by Nikon, which provided digital SLR and compact cameras for the prizes.