Richmond's top cops have been recognised with commendations. Here are some of their stories...
Swift action saved girl

A police officer who saved the life of a three-year-old girl after she had a fit in the street will receive a special award.

PC Lee Burton resuscitated the youngster in the back of a patrol car as driver PC Debbie Sharp sped through traffic to get her to West Middlesex Hospital.

Doctors later said she girl would have died if PC Burton had not given her essential first aid after finding her collapsed in Kew Road, Richmond, on March 18.

The Royal Humane Society will present him with a resuscitation award next year.

PC Burton said: “I don’t do the job for praise but occasionally it’s nice to get it. At the end of the day if it wasn’t for Debbie then we wouldn’t have got there full stop.”

Teen cadet praised

When you think of 15-year-olds buying alcohol, an award is the last thing you expect them to get.

But this is exactly what an “exceptional” police cadet received.

Hampton Academy student Cameron Watson was awarded a special police commendation after being involved in a sting on shops that sold alcohol to under-age teenagers.

He bought alcohol illegally from a shop, leading to its alcohol licence being revoked.

The teenager was given the award after he had to go to court and face a 45-minute grilling from a lawyer, something PC Daniel Holden described as “amazing”.

He said: “It is exceptional for a cadet to have to go to court, but then to go to face cross-examination is unheard of.”

He is the first cadet to receive an individual commendation for more than five years and said he was proud to be given the award in the ceremony at Twickenham Stadium.

He said: “I feel honoured to be among other police officers who have made bigger impacts. All the hard work that I had done had paid off. I felt part of the police and that I am working to make London safer, even as a cadet.”

His commanding Sergeant David George said he was “very proud”.

Cameron joined the police cadets aged 14 and has always aimed to be a fully qualified officer. He plans to enrol in the force after completing a two-year public service course.

He said: “I have wanted to join the police for as long as I can remember really. I thought that I could help people and I thought I would fit really well within the police.” p Teenagers aged between 14 and 19 have been urged to join a new police cadet unit. Richmond police said its new volunteer police cadets (VPC) group, based in Whitton, will meet on Thursdays between 7pm and 9.30pm.

The group aims to encourage young people to take an interest in policing, provide them with training to become leaders in their communities and promote the spirit of adventure. For more information, email Sergeant David George on TWmailbox. cadets@met.police.uk.

Officers ‘over the moon’

Two Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who hunted down a burglar who raided an elderly woman’s home have been awarded a special commendation.

PCSO Jonathan Harrison and PCSO Anthony Elsmere, of Ham and Petersham safer neighbourhood team, were praised for their “outstanding professionalism and initiative” following the break-in on May 27, in Perryfield Way, Ham.

They discovered a teenager had pushed the woman, aged in her 80s, to the floor injuring her hand and face when they carried out a routine visit to her home.

The burglar stole her handbag before fleeing.

PCSO Elsmere, 21, said: “From the information she was able to give us, which wasn’t much, we ascertained where he might have come through, at which point CID came down with scene of crime officers. We told them where we believed they might be and got the forensic evidence.”

He added: “We work for the safer neighbourhood team and we know a lot of people around here.

“From the description she gave us we believed it may have been a gentleman in the area. We managed to find him and detain him about 20 minutes after we left the scene.”

The young burglar was later jailed thanks to vital evidence the two PCSOs helped to gather.

PCSO Elsmere said he was “really proud” to get the commendation.

He said: “It’s nice to have the work you do realised and appreciated.”

PCSO Harrison said he was ”absolutely over the moon”, adding: “I was absolutely gobsmacked when I was told I had been put forward for it. It was amazing.”

Also commended:

Sergeants Elizabeth Turner, Mark Wilson and Brian Kimber, and Inspector Richard Dronfield - “Outstanding contribution and commitment in implementing the Metropolitan special constable programme in Richmond.”

Police Community Support Officers Jonathan Harrison and Anthony Elsmere – “Outstanding professionalism and initiative at the scene of a serious crime resulting in the arrest of an offender.”

PC Deborah Wallace – “Thirty years of dedicated and exemplary service.”

PC Donna Somjen – “Professional and meticulous investigation into a series of complex crimes resulting in the conviction of a prolific offender.”

PC Christopher Wearne – “Professionalism and meticulous investigation into a case of harassment and intimidation of a victim resulting in the arrest of an offender.”

PC Martin Moody – “Professionalism and meticulous investigation into a series of assaults on female victims resulting in the arrest of an offender.”

PC Graeme Jenkins – “Professionalism, hard work and dedication to duty in the role of integrated borough operations controller.”

PC Jeramie Rika – “Outstanding hard work and dedication in the role of response team patrol officer.”

Sergeant Wayne Jacobi – “Outstanding leadership and professionalism whilst in the role of acting sergeant.”

PC Jason White – “Outstanding hard work, consistency and dedication in the role of response officer.”

Detective Constables Kevin Reid, Mark Benstead, Pamela Hoad, Peter Duke, Special Constables Andrew Carr and Belinda Lee, and forensic practitioner Martin Dines – “Professionalism and policing skills leading to the arrest and conviction of a serial sex offender.”

Detective Sergeant Dave Bolton, Detective Constables Andrea Fletcher, Peter Duke and Mark Goody, PC Anthony Dunne and forensic practitioner Rebecca Moore – “Outstanding professionalism and forensic examination ability at the scene of an attempted murder.”

Michelle Hogan – “Hard work and diligence in the role of management information.”

Police Community Support Officer Simon Dickens – “Professionalism and communication skill whilst dealing with an armed suspect.”

Volunteers Edward Henson, Judith Schomberg, Daphne Harris and Daphne Jackson – “Dedicated commitment as a Metropolitan Police volunteer.”

Cadet Cameron Watson – “Excellent work whilst involved in test purchase operations.”

PCs Lee Burton and Ashley Sparks, and Police Sergeant Peter Donelan – awarded the Royal Humane Society Award for Resuscitation.