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Police Officers, Staff and
Partners honoured at:- 'Community First Awards' 2017
POLICE Officers and Police Staff were
recognised for their dedication, professionalism and commitment to serving the
communities of Merseyside, at an award ceremony, that was held on Monday, 2
October 2017.
The inaugural Merseyside Police 'Community First Awards' saw
members of the force commended for a range of achievements including:-
dismantling criminal gangs, pioneering new investigative techniques,
safeguarding vulnerable people and building community relations.
Police Officers and staff were joined by community leaders, volunteers and
partner agency professionals who had also been nominated in recognition of the
work they do alongside the Police to prevent crime and protect communities.
The Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Andy Cooke QPM, was joined in
presenting the awards to the winners by representatives of the 10 companies or
organisations whose sponsorship of the awards night had made the event possible.
Young musicians from the Liverpool Institute
of Performing Arts showcased their talent during the evening's entertainment and
schoolchildren from the force's Mini Police initiative welcomed guests and VIPs
to the Hilton Hotel Liverpool, where the event was held. A raffle offering
prizes donated by sponsors raised hundreds of pounds for the High Sheriff of
Merseyside's charitable fund.
Speaking after all 12 awards had been given out, Chief Constable Cooke said:-
"I would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners for their
outstanding work in preventing crime, protecting our communities from harm and
for going the extra mile in helping those in need. Policing is a difficult job
and all of us joined fundamentally to make a difference and keep people safe. So
in these challenging times it was important to come together and celebrate the
amazing achievements of the staff and Officers that give their all to Merseyside
Police and the communities we serve. Putting our communities first is at
the very heart of everything we do at Merseyside Police and the outstanding work
carried out by the winners, the nominees and many other people in our
organisation is testament to that dedication, commitment and sacrifice. As Chief
Constable I feel immensely proud every day of the work I see being done not just
by the Police, but also our partners. It was a honour to host some of our
friends and colleagues in the NHS, local authorities and the charitable sector
who are motivated by the same goal as ourselves; to protect the public and help
communities improve. The awards night would not have been possible without the
generous support from the local companies and organisations who kindly sponsored
an award or donated a raffle prize. All the proceeds from the evening will be
going to the High Sheriff of Merseyside's Charitable Fund which helps groups run
crime prevention and educational and training schemes in our most deprived
areas. And finally my thanks and congratulations to the winners and nominees who
truly deserve to have had their moment in the spotlight so that their
achievements are recognised and can serve as inspiration to us all as we strive
to keep putting the communities of Merseyside 1st, despite the challenges we
face."
Amongst the winners were the force's firearms
unit who raced to Manchester to help Police colleagues deal with the aftermath
of the MEN terrorist bombing, a PCSO and enquiry Officer who organised for
community minded youngsters to have a trip of a lifetime to Goodison Park, an
Officer who devised an ingenious way of getting stolen cars back to their
owners, and a member of staff who help re-locate a dangerous sex offender.
Other winners included an A&E nurse who has diverted hundreds of children away
from knife crime through talks he does in his spare time, a Police volunteer who
uses her accountancy background to help detectives catch fraudsters, and
Officers and staff who have battled cancer and depression to return to the
frontline.
Merseyside's Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy, who presented Anfield boxing
coach Alan Walsh with an award for community service said:- "The Chief
Constable's inaugural 'Community First Awards' were a wonderful opportunity to
applaud the dedication, commitment and bravery of those who work around the
clock to keep our community safe. It was a truly humbling and inspirational
evening, recognising just a few of the acts of everyday heroism that are taking
place across the force on a daily basis. I warmly congratulate all of this
year's winners and nominees and thank them for everything they have done to go
that extra mile serving the people of Merseyside. We are incredibly proud of
them and appreciate their service."
The winners were:-
Chief Constable's Award - Insp Ian Jones, Bootle Community Inspector.
PCC's Award - Alan Walsh, Anfield and North Liverpool Boxing Club.
Police Officer of the Year - DC James Milligan, Hi-Tech Crime Unit.
Team of the Year - Matrix Firearms Unit.
Recognition Award - Rob Jackson, Nurse Clinician, RLUH.
Volunteer of the Year - Andrea Phipps, Economic Crime Team.
Leadership Award - Sgt Michael Volynchook, Force Contact Centre.
Diversity Award - Phil Hume, Hate Crime Advisor.
Service Award - PCSO Paul Burns and Enquiry Officer John Munro.
The Tom Wright Award in recognition of exceptional commitment in the face of
serious injury, illness or person tragedy; Constable Ross Dutton, Constable Sue
Parton (and 2 other nominees who preferred not to be identified publicly).
Innovation Award - An Officer who preferred not to be named publicly from the
force's Vehicle Crime Group.
Employee of the Year - A member of Police Staff who preferred not to be named
publicly, from the force's multi agency safeguarding hub.
The award category sponsors were:-
Liverpool Football Club.
Everton Football Club.
Liverpool John Moore's University.
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner.
Airwave Motorola.
Dell EMC and SBL.
Police Mutual.
Willmott Dixon.
Mace.
Morgan Sindall.
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Mark Mahoney sentenced to
life imprisonment for the murder of Vikki Hull in Speke
 MERSEYSIDE
Police is welcoming the sentence of Mark Mahoney to life imprisonment, with a
minimum of 16 years, for the murder of Vikki Hull, Speke, back in April 2017.
At 3.10am on Sunday, 9 April 2017, the North West Ambulance Service informed
Merseyside Police of a concern for safety for 29 year old, Vikki Hull, who had
been found at a house in Heaton Close, Speke. Vikki was taken to hospital where
she was pronounced deceased at 4.14am. A post mortem later revealed that Vikki
died of strangulation. Later the same day, detectives located 31 year old Mark
Mahoney and arrested him on suspicion of murder. Mahoney was charged and
remanded into custody. He pleaded guilty and was convicted of the offence on
Monday, 2 October 2017, as the trial was due to begin.
Detective Inspector Jacky Fitzpatrick, the Senior Investigating Officer, said:-
"This was a tragic incident, in which a young mother has had her life
taken away by a violent man, a man who has only chosen to admit his guilt at the
last possible moment, dragging out the suffering of Vikki's family and friends
in the process. I would like to thank Vikki's family for their bravery and
courage during this ordeal and also the professionalism of the Officers involved
in this investigation. The sentence Mahoney was given today is a reflection of
the seriousness of the offence. Although nothing can bring Vikki back we hope it
will give her family some kind of closure, and ensure that Mahoney will be off
the streets for a significant length of time. I want to reassure members of the
public that Merseyside Police is committed to tackling domestic abuse in all its
forms and we have dedicated and specially trained Officers who respond to
incidents of domestic abuse, investigate incidents and provide support to those
in need."
For more information about how to report domestic violence or to seek specialist
support call the confidential 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline on:-
0808 2000 247. This helpline is free and run in partnership by Refuge and
Women's Aid. People can also call Merseyside Police on:- 101 or if they
are in immediate danger call:- 999.
Drop-in session to be held
in Wirral as part of Empty Homes Week 2017
WIRRAL Council are holding a drop in
session for owners of empty properties as part of events around Empty Homes
Week, on Monday, 16 October 2017. As part of efforts to provide good
quality housing in Wirral, the Council supports owners of empty properties to
bring them back into use. Between last year and this year, 308 empty properties
in Wirral were returned back to use as homes with support from the Council.
As part of Empty Homes Week, an annual national campaign organised by the Empty
Homes Agency, a drop in session is taking place, at Wallasey Town Hall, on
Thursday, 19 October 2017, to help owners of empty properties find out what help
is available. The public can also attend to flag up any empty properties that
are causing them concern. The drop-in will be from 10am to 3pm and no
appointment is necessary.
Cllr George Davies, Wirral's Cabinet Member for Housing, said:- "Empty
homes are a waste of good housing stock and money. By 2020, the council aims to
bring 1,250 of them back into residential use. This work is carried out by our
Housing Renewal Team who help owners of empty properties return them to use
through a range of support, including the Empty Property Grant scheme."
As part of Empty Homes Week 2017 the owners of empty properties are urged get in
touch to find out how Wirral Council can help them improve, let or sell their
property. We also want to hear from residents who may be affected by an empty
property in their neighbourhood.
If you would like help or support, please contact the Housing Renewal Team on:-
0151 691 8132 or via sending them an
email.
You can also visit the Council's
website.
Kinship care celebrated in Liverpool
SEFTON Council are asking residents to
give 'Paws for Thought' to ensure they don't buy illegally
imported puppies, following the culmination of a high profile case in Southport.
The "Paws for Thought" campaign is a bid to educate people about
the financial and emotional dangers of buying illegally imported puppies,
especially in the run up to Christmas. Often illegally imported puppies, which
are not vaccinated against rabies, are only ever discovered when a family take
their new 4 legged friends for their 1st vet visit. At this point the puppy has
to be seized and put in quarantine, with any costs incurred falling on the dog's
owners. Not only is there a significant financial implication, with fees in
excess of ₤1,000, but the act of removing your cute new 4 legged friends can be
extremely distressing and stressful. Under the legislation, any dogs entering
the UK must have been vaccinated against rabies, however, the vaccine will not
work if given to puppies younger than 12 weeks. As a result, Sefton Council's
Trading Standards team are urging those considering buying a puppy to make sure
they know who they are buying from, to check the pup's vaccination history and
always ask to see documentation.
The campaign launches after 5 people were
prosecuted after the Trading Standards team uncovered an illegal puppy smuggling
operation, on Skipton Avenue, Southport. Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council's
Cabinet Member for Regulation and Compliance, said:- "We don't want people
to have their lovely new puppies taken away from them. But illegally imported
and unvaccinated puppies are an issue, and it is something which can happen in
Sefton as we have seen recently. The puppies we discovered in Southport were
only around 8 weeks old when they were brought into the UK, meaning even if they
had been vaccinated it would not have been effective. Increasing numbers of
puppies are being imported illegally into the UK from puppy farms in Eastern
Europe. These puppies are being sold via adverts on the internet and are
accompanied by false and forged documentation which lead buyers to believe they
have been imported legally or bred in the UK. We want people to be vigilant,
especially in the run up to Christmas when interest in buying puppies is
especially high."
The Paws for Thought campaign advises people to be suspicious if the seller
cannot show you the puppy with its mother and litter mates, as well as:-
► If the puppy has been vaccinated ask to see the
documentation. This must clearly state the veterinary practice where this was
carried out.
► Be suspicious if the address of the veterinary
practice is outside the UK.
► If the puppy has been brought in from outside the
UK, it must be at least 15 weeks old and have a pet passport or a veterinary
certificate.
► Never agree to have the puppy delivered to your home
address or to meet the seller to collect the puppy.
► Never pay for a puppy in advance.
► Report any
concerns using the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on:- 03454 04 05 06
Earlier this year a joint raid by Sefton Council and Merseyside Police at a
Skipton Avenue property discovered seven illegally imported puppies being kept
in a poor condition. Sefton's Trading Standards team had no choice, but to seize
the puppies and put them in quarantine. Fears that the pups were too young to be
vaccinated against rabies were later confirmed and sadly 1 puppy was so ill, it
had to be put to sleep. The remaining 6 puppies were later successfully
re-homed.
Cllr Lappin added:- "The case not only shows a blatant
disregard for the law, but put the community at serious risk of the spread of
rabies by illegally importing the dogs. Hopefully, this sends out a strong
message to anyone thinking of acting illegally that they will be caught and
prosecuted. We would like to thank the member of the public that came forward to
report their concerns, and would encourage others to be vigilant in order to
tackle other incidents of a similar nature."
Police conducted search of
land in Hale Park
A team of specialist search trained
Officers conducted open land searches in Hale Park, Hale Cheshire, on Tuesday, 3
October 2017. Local Policing Officers have been joined by Matrix Officers in
this latest crackdown on firearms. While the search is ongoing, local residents
are being spoken to by PCSTOs who reassured the community and requested
intelligence about firearms. Inspector Andy Wignall said:- "This operation
is another example of our commitment to reducing gun crime on Merseyside. We are
conducting open land searches in Hale Park, Cheshire and we will continue to
carry out searches such as this to make our streets safer. Information from our
communities is vital. If anyone has any information about guns, or where they
are being stored, I would urge them to contact us so that we can make our
streets safer. We understand that people can be fearful of coming forward, but
if you do not want to speak directly to Police, please use the independent
charity Crimestoppers, which is free and completely anonymous. You can make a
real difference to your communities by telling us what you know, and we promise
to act on all information provided." Anyone with information is
urged to contact our 'Gun Crime Hotline' on:- 0800 230 0600 or
leave information anonymously and for free with Crimestoppers on:- 0800 555 111.
You can also use their
online form anonymously.
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