Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards held at Tulliallan

The commitment, initiative and bravery of Police Scotland officers and staff, as well as partner organisations and members of the public, were recognised and celebrated last week at the Police Scotland Headquarters, Tulliallan.

Held as a joint event for the first time, the Chief
Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards took place in front of senior
officers, politicians, stakeholders and family members this morning.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone QPM presented 29 Bravery
awards to 34 police officers, 24 members of the public – and two police dogs.
Among those receiving Bravery awards were:

Elizabeth Hutchison, who was driving in Edinburgh when she
saw a woman in a distressed condition, walking without shoes in torrential
rain, who made her way to a bridge and threatened to jump. Elizabeth was able
to help the woman down and alert police, before restraining her when she tried
to run off. As a result of Ms Hutchison’s actions, a very vulnerable member of
the public was able to receive the necessary treatment at hospital.

Mr Livingstone also presented Excellence awards in 11
categories, including Greatest Contribution to Policing Priorities and Policing
Partner of the Year, as well as a number of individual awards.

Police Officer of the Year was named as Inspector Kieran
Dougal from City of Edinburgh Division, who, on transferring into community
policing, made an immediate impact by taking ownership of key problems in the
area, including road safety, hate crime, theft and domestic abuse, and is
considered a valued leader among his peers.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone QPM said: “Policing is a
challenging and rewarding vocation, which unites us through a shared sense of
public service, and I hear, every day, about the work of professional and
compassionate people who are dedicated to improving the lives of their fellow
citizens.

“I believe this to be the single most important thing
we must all remember as police officers and staff: we are there to serve the
public. We are the public and the public are the police.

“Therefore, it is absolutely right and proper for the
dedication of our officers and staff to be publicly acknowledged, and at the
same time commend members of the public for the selfless acts of bravery and
courage which have made a significant contribution to others and their
communities.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all our winners
and nominees today and thank them all for their efforts.”

The event was sponsored by Police Mutual, an organisation
which has supported the police family for more than 150 years, providing
financial services and wellbeing support. Police Mutual’s Chief Executive, John
Perks, said: “It’s a huge privilege to work alongside the police service and we
are immensely proud to sponsor this event. These awards not only shine a light
on projects across various areas, celebrating successes that have been achieved
amidst a backdrop of increasing challenges for the police service, they are
also here to recognise the bravery of officers, where ordinary days turned into
extraordinary days.

“All the nominees and winners should be immensely proud of
their achievements – they have shown themselves to be dedicated to keeping the
public safe through outstanding work and extraordinary levels of professional
commitment, in line with Police Scotland’s values.

“We are always humbled by your outstanding demonstrations of
courage and I am delighted to also be able to recognise Excellence in Policing.
They are not only a credit to their families, friends and communities, but also
to Police Scotland and the wider Police Service.”

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “I congratulate all of
those who have been honoured with this year’s Awards.  While the acts of bravery that are being
recognised are exceptional, courage is often present in policing across the
country. Police officers and staff are ordinary men and women who go above and
beyond what is expected of them, often facing challenging and difficult
situations.

“I have been struck by the incredible professionalism,
dedication and expertise demonstrated in these awards. Whether call-handlers,
cyber specialists, forensic experts, special constables, full-time officers, or
members of the public, the people here today have played a role in keeping our
communities safe. It is important to recognise this and the work that goes on
across Scotland.”

David Crichton, Vice Chair of the Scottish Police Authority
said: “We know our officers and staff are undertaking courageous, innovative
and high quality work in the communities of Scotland.

“Today’s award ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate just
a few of the selfless acts which help keep the citizens of Scotland safer. It
is also an opportunity to recognise those members of the public who have helped
us in that task.

“Congratulations to all today’s winners and to all those who
were nominated for awards.”