A TOTAL of 57 awards were handed out during a virtual awards ceremony today Friday February 25 to police officers who demonstrated outstanding bravery against violent offenders, as well as members of the public who put their own lives in danger to help others.

Recipients included member of the public Robert Dick from Musselburgh who chased a knife-wielding robber after hearing a shopkeeper’s shouts for help.

Sergeant Doug Green who along with another officer helped rescue four children and their mother from a car which left the road and plunged into a river adjacent to the A99.

Martin Cutler Mr Cameron Clough from Edinburgh who helped pull a 65-year-old man from a burning house in Edinburgh

Sergeant Lee Dickson and another officer who confronted an armed man following a domestic abuse report in Midlothian.

Constables Ross Hardie, Alan Evans and Nathan Currie who tackled a violent man with a knife at another domestic abuse incident in Dunoon.

Constables Daniel Small and Michael Shields who entered the cold, fast-flowing water of the River Doon to rescue a woman.

Police Constable Amy Burns and Police Dog Tora who tackled a violent and aggressive man who was in possession of a Taser device in East Calder.

Constable Paul Scougall who returned to workin Fife just nine months after undergoing a heart transplant, was given the Police Unsung Hero Award.

The Chief Constable’s overall winner for the greatest contribution to policing priorities was Operation Parror – Specialist Crime Division.

Over the course of one year, as part of this operation 402 investigations were carried by the Digital Forensics Team who examined 4,227 devices. This ensured the protection and safeguarding of 727 children and resulted in the arrest of 364 individuals.

Police Officer of the Year Award went to Constable Jamie Dey who is a community officer based at Elgin. PC Dey made a significant positive contribution to engagement with young people and community wellbeing in his local area and has been widely praised and is highly respected by partners and the wider Elgin Community.

The Special Constable of the Year Awards went to Special Constable Stephen Booth of the North East Division who despite having a full time job, Stephen December 2020 and Special Constable Jonathan Bellarby of the Highland and Islands Division  who over a 12 month period deployed a total of 1,185 hours, the most hours of any Special Constable within the division.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said the honours were given out after an “intense and demanding year” which had underlined the “relentless nature of policing”.

Mr Livingstone said: “Helping those in crisis goes to the heart of policing’s core values and purpose.

“Today’s awards remind us of the individual acts undertaken to that end every day, right across Scotland.

“Equally, we recognise acts of bravery by members of the public who have gone above and beyond what can be expected of a citizen. I am deeply grateful to them for their courage, stepping-forward when necessity arose.”

“I offer my warmest congratulations to all the recipients and everyone nominated for awards today and thank them for their outstanding work and bravery.”