Police hand out merit awards (From Witney Gazette)

Police hand out merit awards

7:15pm Wednesday 14th March 2007 in Headlines

POLICE officers and staff whose work has brought credit to the service are to be presented Shrievalty Merit Awards at a ceremony tomorrow.

The awards, made annually to individuals and teams, will be presented by the High Sheriffs of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in tomorrow's ceremony at Drayton Park Golf Club. They were originally created in 1981 by the three High Sheriffs and are one of the most prestigious awards to be presented in the Force.

The Shrievalty Merit Team Award has been jointly awarded to the West Oxfordshire Neighbourhood Policing Implementation Team and the Milton Keynes Problem Solving Team.

The West Oxfordshire Neighbourhood Policing Implementation Team is a group consisting of police officers, police staff, council staff and members of the public.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "As a group they have made a positive and significant impact on the relationship between police and local communities.

"The creation of five Neighbourhood Action Groups has improved communication and helped develop a high level of public engagement and a dedicated website has also been created to provide an innovative communications solution. "Many people in the community have seen a vast improvement in their quality of life due to the success of this team."

The team consists of:

Victoria Bartlett, Thames Valley Police

Bill Butcher, Thames Valley Police

PC Steve Cox

PC Pam Delahay

Nick Gilbert, Thames Valley Police

Insp Andy Higgs

PC Bob Hooke

Sgt Clare Mackintosh

Sgt Mark Smith

PC Dave Tustian

Monica Downton, West Oxfordshire District Council

Bill Oddy, West Oxfordshire District Council

Michelle Aston, West Oxfordshire District Council

Alan Haines, Oxfordshire County Council

Ady Coomber, Bampton, Burford and Carterton NAG

Elaine Wernsing, RAF Brize Norton.

The Shrievalty Merit Individual Award is to be awarded to Sgt Gill Williams, based at Sulhamstead.

She is the only female in charge of a police diving team in the country and has completed over 1,000 dives, recovering 42 bodies, 54 stolen motor vehicles and 15 weapons used in murders or serious assaults.

Gill was deployed to Thailand three times to assist with victim identification following the Tsunami and has also formed her own charity called Hands Across the Water'. She has raised enough money to build an orphanage for the children who lost their families and homes.