Northumbria officer receives national award

Officers from across the country have been nominated by their peers for the awards.

PC Joe Furniss from Northumbria Police was chosen by a judging panel of NPCC Response Policing Lead DCC Rob Carden, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke, Service Director of the National Wellbeing Service Andy Rhodes, National Police Federation Leigh Godfrey and College of Policing Chief Superintendent Andy Walker.

NPCC lead for Response Policing, Deputy Chief Constable Rob Carden said:

“Congratulations to Joe, the nomination we received highlighted what an asset he is to Northumbria Police.

“His hard work and determination is admired by his colleagues and he is an exceptional tutor.

“Response Policing is a challenging role; daily response officers are faced with a range of different incidents and are usually the first on scene to assist our communities.

“As we recognise the role nationally through the week of action, we also wanted to recognise the individual contribution of officers.

“We have had some great nominations across the country of officers who have gone above and beyond in their role.”

Joe has been a response officer for his entire 22 years with Northumbria Police which has allowed him to build extensive knowledge of the local communities and criminality in the area.

His colleagues have said "His calm, professional manner and his eagerness to attend incidents is astounding. Joe is an exemplary officer, always keen to help and support his colleagues, passing on knowledge or directions”
In the last 12 months Joe has made 100 arrests which has been achieved through his hard work and great knowledge of the local area.

Assistant Chief Constable Brad Howe, of Northumbria Police, said:

“First and foremost, I would like to congratulate our very own PC Joe Furniss for winning this prestigious award.

“Joe is a true credit to policing and is the embodiment of what a response police officer should be. Not only is he an exceptional team player who goes above and beyond to protect the public, he also leads from the front and is always there to support his colleagues through challenging times.

"Joe proudly pulls on his uniform each and every day to fight crime and help keep our communities safe, and is an inspiration to his peers both locally and further afield."

“He is extremely worthy of this national accolade for his continued commitment and I am delighted that his efforts have been formally recognised in this way.

“Over the last few days, police forces across the UK have been shining a light on the great work of response officers as part of National Response Policing Week.

“We are incredibly proud of Joe, and all his dedicated response policing colleagues, and would like to thank them for their outstanding dedication and contribution.”

Also recognised for their contribution to response policing are runners up PC Thomas Cutts from South Yorkshire Police and PC Victoria Hallett from West Mercia.

PC Thomas Cutts is described as “an exceptional officer that demonstrates commitment and dedication to protect and serve our local communities daily. He has 13 years’ service and has gained knowledge, skills, and experience enabling him to provide a quality service.”

He leads by example and is a role model to his colleagues and the students he tutors. He’s the first to arrive for work and the last to leave. He is the ultimate professional.

PC Victoria Hallett from West Mercia is described as courageous, tenacious and public focussed. She displays high standards of professionalism and leadership in her duties.

Over the last year PC Hallett has saved lives, performing CPR on eight occasions and delivering significant first aid, faced difficult situations and violent offenders and never shirks from danger. Victoria has demonstrated professional curiosity in tackling crime and disorder and has provided a high quality of service to victims.