Community heroes were honoured at the Chief Constable’s annual awards ceremony yesterday afternoon at the Gaiety Theatre.
The awards saw police officers, Special Constables, members of support staff and other public servants being recognised for their long service, excellence and courage in helping keep the Isle of Man safe.
Additionally, ordinary members of the public were recognised for saving the lives of strangers whom they had found in the course of harming themselves.
Detective Superintendent Jarrod Bibby was awarded the Chief Constable’s primary award, the R. K. Eason Trophy, for his outstanding performance in the field of Police Service over many years and in particular his recent work in response to the COVID emergency.
This year’s awards also included a dedicated coronavirus category highlighting the important role key workers played in the pandemic, with the COVID-19 Community Call Centre Team awarded the Community Partnership Initiative Award.
Chief Constable, Gary Roberts said:
‘The past year has been challenging as we continue to deal with the pandemic, and I am incredibly proud of how the Isle of Man has responded and the Isle of Man Constabulary have performed a vital role in that response.
He added:
‘The awards are fairly low profile but anyone attending goes away with a new perspective on how we police the island. All our staff put in a lot of effort to keep the Island safe and the event is a fantastic way to recognise the work that we do. A lot of this takes place out of the public eye and anyone hearing the citations cannot fail to be impressed. It has also been great to recognise the brilliant support given to us by our families.’
In addition, the Isle of Man Constabulary’s COVID-19 Pandemic Commemorative Coin was presented to Inspector Andrew Lloyd of Merseyside Police on behalf of his late father Sergeant Richard Lloyd.
Minister Jane Poole-Wilson MHK, and His Excellency, Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer were also in attendance at the ceremony.
The yearly event included a variety of awards ranging from Long Service Medals, Certificates of Merit for dedication and professionalism, Commendations for service, and trophies for community partnerships, and special achievements.
