21 exceptionally brave and inspirational officers were celebrated at the Defence Police Federation’s 2024 Annual Awards.
At the fourth annual ceremony, held on Thursday 21 November colleagues were awarded in categories including Bravery, Policing Excellence, Inspiration and Lifetime Achievement.
Defence Police Federation Chair Eamon Keating welcomed the guests to the ceremony, saying: “You are a credit to the Ministry of Defence Police, and it’s my and the Defence Police Federation’s privilege to thank you for your bravery, excellence and inspiring work on behalf of your colleagues.”
Sgt Mark Randles, PC Josh Smith and PC Shaun Kester were presented with a Bravery Award for saving a man on a boat who was threatening to set himself alight. Sgt Randles said: “With the risks involved – 12 miles out at sea, in the pitch black, with a suicidal male – it could have gone so wrong. But nobody said to me: ‘I don’t want to do this’. They accepted it as part of the job and they got on with it.”
Another group of Bravery Award winners were PC Christopher Mellor, PC Steven Bambra and Sgt Dale Darby, who braved electrical storms – and in one case a knife – to save the lives of two people. The officers showed diligence, perseverance and teamwork in challenging weather conditions.
Winning Policing Excellence Awards were PC Michael Slater and PC Richard MacColl, who provided first aid and emotional support to Harry Dunn immediately after his motorcycle crash near RAF Croughton in 2019. They were praised for their compassion and professionalism in extremely difficult circumstances.
An officer who did not wish to be named also received a Policing Excellence Award. He was off duty in a hotel room when he discovered two armed suspects in the room next door. With no thought for his own safety, he successfully gathered the intelligence that led to their arrest. Another winner of the Policing Excellence Award was off-duty when, in the finest traditions of British policing, he helped save an elderly man’s life.
The Defence Police Federation Inspiration Award was given to an officer with a track record of making arrests and intervening in incidents off-duty.
The Debbie Williams Award for Friends of the Defence Police Federation was given to seven colleagues who provided outstanding support to colleagues and protected their terms and conditions at a difficult time for the force. The award is named after the inspirational Debbie Williams, who died in 2019. She was a founding member of the Police Firearms Officers’ Association, and tirelessly devoted hours of her time to help officers and their families. Debbie’s husband presented the award to the officers.
At the end of the ceremony, two senior officers received Lifetime Achievement awards. Inspector Eileen McAdam has inspired many of her colleagues over almost 40 years in the force. She has investigated hundreds of crimes and always goes above and beyond to provide the best possible care to victims. She was described as “a font of knowledge” and “MDP through and through”.
The second Lifetime Achievement Award recipient was Inspector Paul Stringer, who recently retired after a long and illustrious career including 10 years in CID and stints in Kosovo and Afghanistan. Graeme Downie, MP for Dunfermline and Dollar, said: “Paul has dedicated so much of his life to keeping [the community] safe.”
The Defence Police Federation 2024 Annual Awards were sponsored by Serve and Protect Credit Union, Uniform Mortgages, National Police Healthcare Scheme, Accord, KM Law, Blackfords, Bluline and Police Mutual.
