Ex-honorary officer wins regional award for success in UK policing

Sunday 27 October 2024

A former honorary police officer who won a regional award for his voluntary work in helping to combat crime in the west of England has credited his time in Jersey for giving him the skills and experience to excel as a Special Constable in the UK.

At a recent ceremony held at the Museum of the Great Western Railway in Swindon, Ian Le Sueur – who served with the honorary police in St Brelade from 2012 until 2017 – was named as the 'South West Special Constable of the Year' ahead of six other finalists.

The achievement follows his earlier recognition as Avon and Somerset's Special Constable of the Year, where he surpassed eight other nominees at the semi-finals of the award ceremony in Portishead.

At the awards, Mr Le Sueur was recognised for regularly contributing over 1,000 hours a year to Avon and Somerset Police, and for providing support in West Somerset covering an area of over 250 square miles including Exmoor and the Quantocks.

Reflecting on his time in Jersey, Mr Le Sueur said: "I enjoyed my time with the Honorary Police in St Brelade, under the guidance of Chef de Police Michel Bougeard and centeniers Sue Fox and Amanda Wright. 

"I cut my teeth and learnt a great deal, which has given me the experience that has served me well in my role here in the South West.

"The awards I have received are as much a credit to them and their guidance as it is to my approach to policing which I took from them."

At the final of the awards in Swindon, Mr Le Sueur was particularly singled out for his use of local intel and knowledge, using technology such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition to effectively disrupt the activities of County Line and Organise Crime Groups. 

His efforts led to 28 arrests and successful convictions for various offences.

Special Chief Officer Andy Bennett praised Mr Le Sueur's "exceptional" arrest record and highlighted his “proactive” approach to policing.

As well as his frontline work, Mr Le Sueur was also commended for his role as a supplementary tutor in helping new officers build their confidence and knowledge.

Mr Le Sueur transferred to Avon & Somerset Police as a Special Constable in 2017 when he moved to the UK. It is believed to be the first time a serving honorary officer directly transferred to a UK force. 

Since then he has given nearly 6,000 hours of his spare time.

Special Constables are voluntary officers with the same powers as regular officers, under the command of regular senior officers and with their own rank structure.

They take part in frontline police work and can spend much of their time on the streets, doing intelligence-based patrols in crime hotspots or taking part in crime-prevention initiatives.