From chief officers to frontline volunteers, policing stars across the UK have received prestigious honours in His Majesty the King’s New Year’s Honours List. These awards celebrate their commitment to keeping communities safe and advancing diversity and inclusion within the police service.
Martin Hewitt, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, praised the recipients, stating: “I congratulate and pay my respects to all of those recognised for their service to policing in His Majesty the King’s New Year’s Honours List. It is great to see so many officers, staff, and volunteers from across the country being awarded for their contributions to local communities and public safety.”
He added, “The awards highlight the commitment and hard work of policing to protect and keep our communities safe all year round and everyone should be rightly proud to be recognised in this way.”
Order of the Bath and OBE Winners
Companions of the Order of the Bath include Dr Nina Cope, former Director General of the National Crime Agency (NCA), honoured for her services to law enforcement and diversity.
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) recipients are Hadley Gill (NCA), David Kevin Lawes (City of London Police), and Jonathan Peter Mearns (Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism), recognised for their outstanding services to policing and diversity.
MBEs and BEMs Shine for Dedication
MBEs were awarded to a number of officers including Emma Brown and Ewa Cantrill (NCA), Detective Inspector Phillip Collins and Detective Sergeant Nigel Goodband (British Transport Police), as well as campaigners and trustees supporting victims of crime and wellbeing initiatives.
The British Empire Medal (BEM) recipients range from community volunteers like Nicola Baboneau (Met Police) to police musicians and armed forces champions.
King’s Police Medal: The Elite Honoured
The prestigious King’s Police Medal (KPM) was awarded to leading police figures nationwide including Constable John Bannon (PSNI), Deputy Chief Constables Emma Barnett (Staffordshire Police), Phillip Cain (North Yorkshire), and Lee Freeman (Humberside Police). Several detective inspectors, sergeants, and chief superintendents from the Metropolitan Police and other forces also received the KPM for their exceptional service.
Special Mentions from Royal Victorian Order and Overseas Territories
Barbara Gray, Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, was made Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order. Other members include Commander Adesola Adelekan and retired officers Simon Hammett and Fiona Wilson of the Metropolitan Police.
The Overseas Territories Police Medal was awarded to Maria Atalioti (Sovereign Base Areas Police, Cyprus) and Elliott Forbes (Royal Anguilla Police Force) for their services promoting policing, diversity, and inclusion.
These honours spotlight the bravery, skill, and dedication of British policing. The officers and volunteers recognised go above and beyond to protect the public and champion diversity – true heroes of the Kingdom.
Originally published by UKNIP.
