Special Achievement Award and Chief Superintendent’s Commendation: Katie Landsborough, South Yorkshire Police

Katie Landsborough was presented with a Special Achievement Award at the academy closing ceremony, after she managed to detain and seize a knife and a firearm from a member of the public.

During Police Now’s academy, the trainee detectives spent time in their respective forces for field training, experiencing shifts in Response and Criminal Investigation Departments.

The incident occurred when Katie, supported by an experienced force colleague, was on shift in South Yorkshire Police’s Criminal Investigation Department.

She also received a Chief Superintendent’s Commendation for the achievement.

Katie said: “When on shift with my tutor constable, I managed to detain and seize a knife and a firearm from a member of the public. I was presented with a ‘Special Achievement Award’ at the academy closing ceremony and also received a commendation from Chief Superintendent Shelley Hemsley for my involvement in the incident, which was a huge honour. But more importantly, I removed two dangerous weapons from the streets and potentially saved lives.”

Katie has also shared her full experience of the National Detective Programme academy here.

Special Achievement Award: Neeya Gill, West Midlands Police

Neeya Gill was presented with a Special Achievement Award after she responded to a Road Traffic Collision whilst off duty – without realising an off-duty senior officer was also already at the roadside responding to the incident.

Despite being new to the job and still completing her initial training, she used the skills she had already learned at academy to help detain a man at the scene, while the senior officer detained a second man and they awaited local police attendance.

Neeya, who will join West Midlands Police next week via Police Now’s programme, was presented with the award for how she handled the incident and for her dedicated and hardworking nature. She also achieved strong results in her assessments and maintained high professional standards throughout the academy.

Outstanding Resilience Award: Olivia Phillips, Bedfordshire Police

Olivia Phillips, who will join Bedfordshire Police now that she has completed her Police Now academy training, was awarded the Outstanding Resilience Award.

Olivia worked consistently hard throughout academy and overcame personal circumstances to deliver strong results. She always tackled challenges with a positive attitude and dedicated herself to her training.

Olivia received exceptional feedback from her force colleagues after her field training shifts in Bedfordshire Police, where she made her first arrest, presented a suspect to custody, and proactively engaged with investigations in the Criminal Investigation Department. She put all her training into action and demonstrated strong skills and knowledge.

Outstanding Performance Award: Sophie Marsh, Northumbria Police

Sophie Marsh, who will join Northumbria Police via the Police Now programme, was presented with the Outstanding Performance Award for maintaining consistently high standards throughout academy and supporting her fellow officers.

She used her previous experience in the prison service to inform her work and exemplified the qualities of a true leader, inspiring and motivating her fellow trainee detectives and always providing support to those who needed it.

Sophie’s commitment to keeping people safe, through transforming communities and preventing crime, shone through during her training and she always sought opportunities to develop her knowledge and skills.

Excellence in Teamwork and Leadership Award: Sarah Church, Thames Valley Police

Sarah Church, who joins Thames Valley Police via Police Now, was presented with an Excellence in Teamwork and Leadership Award. She received this award following multiple nominations from her fellow trainees.

Sarah regularly took a leading role within her team at the academy and proactively engaged during lessons, whether through leading discussions or supporting other members of her team.

She always contributed and went above and beyond during group activities and went out of her way to share useful information and advice with her fellow Thames Valley Police trainees. She proved herself to be a team player and a hard worker throughout her academy training. 

Excellence in Teamwork and Leadership Award: Jamie-Shay Jarvis, West Midlands Police

Jamie-Shay Jarvis, who will join West Midlands Police via Police Now’s programme, was also presented with an Excellence in Teamwork and Leadership Award.

Jamie received strong results in his individual assessments whilst also making significant attempts to promote teamworking among his West Midlands Police colleagues.

He played a key role in bringing the group together as a team and provided support for everyone throughout academy. His efforts also extended outside the classroom, where he organised inclusive social events to ensure everyone enjoyed their academy experience. He received this award following multiple nominations from his fellow trainees.