Police and Crime Commissioner recognises outstanding contribution of Specials and Volunteers at police awards ceremony

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, Philip Wilkinson has paid tribute to two policing volunteers for their roles in improving the service provided Wiltshire Police by honouring them at the recent Wiltshire Police Force Awards ceremony.

The awards, which took place at the historic Corn Exchange in Devizes, recognised the achievements of officers, staff, volunteers and members of the public, whose efforts demonstrated exceptional commitment to uphold the core values of public service and protection.

For his own award categories, the Police and Crime Commissioner selected two recipients who had been nominated for their dedication to improving standards within Wiltshire Police through its training capabilities and by creating a system which makes it quicker and easier for officers to locate missing people.

Special Constable Damien Penman was given the "PCC Special Constable of the Year" following his work to develop a new system using mobile phone technology to locate missing people.

SPC Penman recognised the limitations in the systems which were being used to gather information as part of fast paced missing persons investigations, where there were only specific staff who could analyse large amounts of mobile phone mast data. He then worked with specialist departments within Wiltshire Police to create a database which can be used by any Wiltshire Police officer and which gives them accurate real-time data to assist them in their searches.

Speaking about SPC Penman's achievement, Police and Crime Commissioner Wilkinson said:

"Special Constable Penman has developed a system, in conjunction with Wiltshire Police, which has already saved hundreds of working hours, which are vital when searching for a dangerous suspect or a person who is at risk of harm.

"SPC Penman could have taken his database to the open market, where I've no doubt he would have been been rewarded financially. His decision to hand over the rights to his software at no cost to Wiltshire Police, demonstrates his passion and commitment to ensuring the safety of our residents, and upholding the values of public service to a high standard."

Peter Goodenough was given the "PCC Volunteer of the Year" award for his contribution to training at Wiltshire Police.

Mr Goodenough, a former lead trainer for the MOD and former head of security detail for Elizabeth II, has given up hundreds of hours of his time over the past year to pass on his experience to officers and staff at Wiltshire Police.

As well as making a positive impact on the training delivered to Wiltshire Police officers and staff, Mr Goodenough was also one of the first volunteers to join Wiltshire College students in Salisbury and Trowbridge as they conducted successful safety sweeps with the Citizens in Policing team. This initial pilot has been expanded to other parts of the county, and this is partly due to the positive results from those first operations.

The Police and Crime Commissioner highlighted Mr Goodenough's experience as being a valuable asset to Wiltshire Police:

"I have always placed the ability to provide effective training for our staff and officers as a main priority of my Police and Crime Plan.

"We have worked hard on ensuring our facilities are of a high standard, but the facilities need to be matched by the people working within the training framework. 

"Peter's ability to evaluate situations and communicate clearly with colleagues, are skills which are integral to the work we do and his professionalism and charisma has made a positive impact on the way our packages are delivered."

Published Thursday 14 November 2024