Less than four weeks until Be Proud Awards 2019

Policing heroes from across Avon and Somerset will be celebrated at the annual Be Proud Awards in less than four weeks’ time.

The annual awards ceremony, hosted by Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens and Chief Constable Andy Marsh, will be a taking place on 12 June at Cadbury House Hotel. The awards recognise and rewards the dedicated officers, staff and volunteers for their hard work in ensuring our communities are safe.

Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: “Awards like these mean so much to the officers, staff and volunteers who go above and beyond to keep the communities of Avon and Somerset safe. We’re excited to recognise the people who make a difference at the awards ceremony next month.”

Chief Constable Andy Marsh added: “The awards recognise our unsung heroes who have done remarkable work and I’m looking forward to celebrating their achievements at the ceremony. The awards are a tribute to our officers, staff and volunteers who make a difference in the community.”

The Be Proud Awards are only possible thanks to the support of our proud partners including BT, SEA, Capita, Unison and Double Tree Hilton Cadbury Hotel.

Be Proud Award finalists


Neighbourhood Officer of the Year includes:

Inspector Robert Cheeseman - Bristol

Robert continues to go above and beyond to support the motorcycle community and combat bike crime in Bristol. He set up Operation Buell, which has successfully reduced motorbike theft by 70% over 12 months and he has been approached by other police services who want to replicate the operation. The local biking community now see Robert as an honorary biker of the community.

Sergeant Wayne Hick – North East Somerset

Wayne’s friendly and open approach means local people feel at ease speaking to him and raising their concerns. Wayne has been influential in developing a number of initiatives including supporting Neighbourhood Watch schemes and developing South Gloucestershire Cadets programme. Now a Custody Officer at Keynsham police station, Wayne has left a lasting impact on the local community.

PCSO Susan Thompson – Somerset

Susan has been described as an outstanding example of community policing and local people have remarked on her outstanding work, positive attitude and integrity. She is well known in the communities of Williton and Watchet, and by building trusting relationships with young people in the areas she has helped reduce youth anti-social behaviour.


Response Officer of the Year includes:

PC Christopher Gent - Bristol

Chris is an integral part of the busy response team at Trinity Road and goes above and beyond to help vulnerable victims of crime. He is extremely conscientious in his role as first response officer to victims of serious sexual assault and ensures victims feel safe to make disclosures. He has also volunteered for extra responsibilities including tutoring and is a member of the LGBT team.

PC Mike Steven – North East Somerset

Mike is a dedicated response officer who completes his role to the highest standards. He is passionate about working in partnership to achieve better outcomes for victims. He has mentored a number of individuals and continues to support under-represented groups through his diversity work with LGBT staff.

PC Anna Hall – Somerset

Anna is a prime example of outstanding modern policing. Her attention to detail and investigative skills are second to none and she has a caring approach both to victims and colleagues. Without a doubt, she brings out the best in those around her. She is an experienced first response officer to victims of sexual assaults and uses her experience to mentor newly trained officers.


Investigator of the Year includes:

Detective Constable Simon McFall

Simon places victims at the heart of everything he does and has brought a number of complex offences successfully to court. He has an unfailing commitment to serving the needs of the public as an investigator and in one particular case offered exceptional support to a victim of honour based violence. Simon went above and beyond to ensure the victim felt safe and, because of his actions, the individual can now live her life free of fear.

Detective Constable Catherine King

Catherine is recognised by her peers as an outstanding investigator and is described as committed, diligent and enthusiastic. She is nominated for her work on stranger sex attack cases and her exemplary detective skills meant that numerous crimes could be tied together. Her work towards a successful conviction means she has prevented the offender committing further offences against women.

Detective Constable Tracey Ormand

Tracey is nominated for her work on a high risk domestic incident that involved a vulnerable victim who had previously not engaged with officers. Tracey worked hard to gain her trust, so much so the victim revealed that further offences had been committed. Tracey has received praise from the CPS for the dedication and support she has shown the victim. Thanks to Tracey, the victim has positively turned her life around.

Engagement Officer Lucy Hassell

Lucy displayed dedication, professionalism and tenacity in her role as a victim contact officer during a child sexual exploitation investigation that spanned over three years. Lucy is passionate about victim care and she worked extensively with agencies to support vulnerable teenage girls. She gave a voice to the victims of these crimes and in doing so helped to change their lives.


Police Staff Member of the Year includes:

Louise Mowbray

Louise is a highly skilled member of staff who continues to achieve positive results when dealing with licensing issues. Louise has a professional reputation and her work in ensuring large events in Bristol are well-managed means our community can continue to feel safe while enjoying local festivals.

Helen Rollings

Helen manages the Communication Data team, which provides specialist support to colleagues in all directorates. An experienced member of staff, Helen has been praised for being a great leader who constantly performs at a higher level than required. She is a walking example of how force values should be delivered.

Esther Wride

As the Inclusion and Diversity lead for the Constabulary, Esther embodies the Avon and Somerset Police values of inclusion, caring, courageous and learning. She continues to work diligently across all areas of diversity and has made an enormous difference to the organisation and communities with her commitment to drive forward inclusion.

Nicola King

Nicola has created a community and partnership focused approach to treat corrosive substance attacks in Yeovil. Using her initiative, she went above and beyond to create training resources to educate partners within the area on how to treat this type of attack. Her conscientious approach to partnership working has helped save lives.

Geoffrey Cannon

A role model for others, Geoffrey does an outstanding job managing licensed premises in Bath and North East Somerset and always goes the extra mile. He is universally respected by the Local Authority and brewery managers, and his ‘can do’ attitude means he can influence beyond his role. He is an ‘unsung hero’ who embodies the force’s values.


Police Support Volunteer of the Year includes:

David Simmonds from Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue Team

David is nominated for his 44 years of service to the Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue Team. He has been active throughout all his years of service, always on call – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – and he is always happy to respond to add his expertise to any situation. Over the years, David has attended thousands of ‘call outs’ and has saved many lives of those in peril.

Kirstie Mayes

Kirstie has shown exceptional commitment to her role as Main Cadet Leader of Portishead Police Cadet Unit, going far beyond what is expected of her. She is supportive of other leaders and she is an early adopter of new initiatives that benefit other units. Kirstie has shown commitment and passion, and she has created a culture of progression that encourages cadets to take on greater responsibilities and help the wider community.

Nathan Armitage and Claire Hopkins

Since joining Broadbury Road neighbourhood team last year, both Nathan and Claire have shown a willingness to work with colleagues, external agencies and the community to help support projects that really make a difference including: modern slavery, anti-social behaviour and early intervention. The team are now seeking more volunteers based on the value, support and guidance Nathan and Claire continue to deliver.


Special Constable of the Year includes:

Special Inspector Jordan Howe – Bristol

Jordan is a highly competent officer whose dedication goes beyond what is expected from him as a member of the Special Constabulary. His work is ethical, professional and dynamic and his assistance at protests and other large events has helped the police and community greatly.

Special Inspector Roland Lock – South Gloucestershire

Since becoming a Special, Roland has put in a massive amount of hours into the organisation, particularly in 2017 when he worked in excess of 1000 hours. Roland is calm, open-minded and has an infectious enthusiasm for his work. His recent work on traffic issues in his beat shows he is willing to take on any task to help the community.

Special Constable Samuel Carter – Bristol

Sam has been a huge support and asset to his team since he joined in 2007. He has attended a number of response jobs involving people with mental health problems and his approach has made a noticeable difference to their lives. Sam has worked tirelessly to increase his skill set and his competency greatly supports the team in providing a better service delivery to the public.


Specialist Operations Award includes:

Operation Encounter

Operation Encounter was a multi-agency, multi-departmental response to the threat of County Lines, with the aim of identifying and protecting vulnerable persons at risk of exploitation and prosecute those involved. The team worked extremely long hours working in the community to make children safe, divert adults from offending and secure evidence to build credible prosecutions. There were numerous obstacles throughout the operation but the team remained resilient and demonstrated professional integrity.

Underwater Search Unit

The Underwater team complete outstanding and often traumatising work. They are called upon to assist on some of the most difficult searches for individuals while family members look on. The entire team are hugely sensitive to family members and have unique skill of acting as much-needed, unofficial family liaison officers. The team take on physical and emotional challenging circumstances and work hard until the job is completed.


Policing Team of the Year includes:

Team 1 Base 3 covering Broadbury Road, Bath and Radstock

Professional, caring and diligent, this team collectively work together to make a real difference to their community. From completing CPR on individuals to supporting sexual assault victims and completing exceptional investigations to searching for missing people, they happily take on whatever is asked of them. Each and every one of them provide an outstanding service to the community.

Hartcliffe Policing Team

The team have gone above and beyond in supporting the Hartcliffe area with the on-going anti-social behaviour incidents that have taken place. They have showed extraordinary dedication and commitment, and have worked on numerous community initiatives to engage with young people. The team have been a real asset for the area.

Weston Town Centre Team

A caring and compassionate group of officers, this team makes a positive difference to the town centre and the safety of both visitors and local people. The team has worked with other agencies to bring a positive change in the area and work with partners to support offenders who want to turn their lives around. The team are 100% committed to neighbourhood policing and the delivery of outstanding policing.

Wellington Town Policing Team

The team has worked tirelessly to tackle and resolve the large scale anti-social behaviour that was happening in the area. The team are available to the public whenever and wherever, and work with Wellington Town Council to coordinate speedy response to the problems in in the area. Both professional and approachable, the team are always keen to make a difference and have helped to make Wellington a safe place to live and visit again.