Police officers, volunteers and teenage boy awarded for bravery and dedication

Thursday 22 February 2018

Police officers, a long-serving volunteer of the Honorary Police force, and a teenage boy have all received awards for bravery, and going beyond the call of duty.

The bravery of 14-year-old Finley Paton was recognised with the ‘States of Jersey Police Recognition Award’ after he rescued a stranger from the sea. Attendees at a special ceremony heard how Finley selflessly put another person’s safety before his own when he dived into the water and pulled the person to shore after he heard them in distress.

Karen Gough was awarded ‘Honorary Police Officer of the Year’ for her 15 years of dedication to the parish of St. Martin. She was described as a “mother hen to other officers, taking on many roles and being described as the font of knowledge.” Her husband Richard, and her daughter Hannah accepted the award on her behalf as Karen sadly lost her battle with cancer last month.  

Pictured: Detective Superintendent Stewart Gull (left) awarded Detective Inspector Steve Langford (right) for his outstanding contribution (Jersey Police).

The evening was full of stories of bravery, saving lives as well as securing evidence to bring offenders to justice, which Detective Inspector Steve Langford knows all too well. He was presented with the Head of Department Commendation for his outstanding contribution over the past 15 years as a senior investigator. Detective Langford has dealt with a variety of serious crimes including murders, rape and drug importation.

The night also recognised the potential of those at the start of their career in the police force with the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ award. This was received by PC Trystan Colley who has attended 374 incidents and made over 50 arrests since becoming a Police Constable in October 2016.

We held @JerseyPolice annual awards ceremony last night, great to see so many people celebrating team work, bravery, volunteering, excellent investigate work and individual effort #proud

— DCO Julian Blazeby (@DCO_JBlazeby) February 21, 2018

Deputy Chief Officer Julian Blazeby said: “This was a fantastic opportunity to thank our staff and others for the amazing things they do. We often forget because it’s our job that some of the things we do show remarkable dedication and bravery and it’s only when we stand back and reflect that we see this.

“It is great for us to be able to talk about some of cases and say to those people that we appreciate what they have done and the contribution they make to our community.” 

Lead Picture: Deputy Chief Officer Julian Blazeby with PC Trystan Colley (right).