Scots recognised in His Majesty’s first Honours list include senior officers in the emergency services.
Malcolm Graham, Deputy Chief Constable (DCC), Police Scotland has been awarded the Kings Police Medal.
DCC Graham joined Lothian and Borders Police in 1995. In May 2009, he became Detective Chief Superintendent with responsibility for organised crime and counter terrorism in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Scottish Borders. He was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable within Police Scotland in January 2013, where he had responsibility for major crime, public protection and local crime.
DCC Graham oversaw Police Scotland’s response to violence against women and girls. Under his leadership, the service improved Divisional Rape Investigation Units and developed the award winning ThatGuy campaign, which calls upon men to challenge attitudes and behaviours towards women. He also led the development of a new Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and is an ambassador for White Ribbon Scotland, a charity that works to end gender based violence.
In May 2019, he was promoted to his current rank and the following year he led Police Scotland’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As DCC, he has worked with international partners on the investigation into the Lockerbie terrorist attack and he is a board member of a programme for sharing knowledge with colleagues in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. DCC Graham played an important role in the organisational response following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, liaising with the Scottish and UK Governments to deliver a successful operation that resulted in no security breaches.
He currently has responsibility for delivering local policing and leads five Assistant Chief Constables covering 13 divisions.
KING’S FIRE SERVICE MEDAL
Matt Acton, Area Commander Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has served with distinction since 1994 and is currently the Area Commander for the City of Edinburgh. He has been responsible for the delivery of major events, notably the Hogmanay Street Party and Edinburgh Festival. Following the passing of Firefighter Barry Martin in January, he played an important role in planning the funeral, working with partners to co-ordinate security while minimising the impact on communities in Edinburgh.
Area Commander Acton helped co-ordinate the SFRS work during Operation Unicorn, maintaining operational readiness and the safety of Edinburgh. He worked with partners to ensure appropriate security and access measures were in place to allow large events to take place in the city. His leadership ensured SFRS was able to respond appropriately to any incidents during the period of national mourning. In preparation for Operation Unicorn, he engaged over a nine-year planning period with partners including the Royal Household, military and Scottish and UK Governments.
KING’S AMBULANCE SERVICE MEDAL
Julie Shields, Head of Service for the East Region has been awarded this honour.
During a distinguished career of more than 27 years with the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), Ms Shields has worked as an ambulance care assistant, technician and paramedic. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, she provided leadership in the National and East Regional cells. Recently, she played a leading role in work to give smartphone technology to all operational frontline staff.
She was instrumental in the rollout of 3,500 devices to improve diagnostic capability and make it easier to take care decisions at a local level. With her team, she also led the development of pathways to ensure patients receive the most appropriate care in the best setting. She provides leadership to her peers by chairing the SAS’s Head of Service Group and Ethnic Minority Forum.
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