Top award for PSNI officer
A PSNI officer has beaten off stiff competition from policing counterparts across the UK to scoop a prestigious learning and development award.
Inspector Allan Jones, who played a pivotal role in the 2001 Holy Cross dispute and last year's homecoming parade in Belfast, won the acclaimed "Scottie Addison" award for outstanding contribution to police learning and development at a recent National Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) conference held in Coventry, England.
The Antrim-based officer is currently head of public order training within the PSNI.
The 47-year-old described it as "very humbling" to be selected ahead of 36 other nominees - the first time a PSNI officer has received the award.
"I really didn't think I was going to be honoured this way, even when I was shortlisted for the award," he said.
"To be fair it's not just me but the whole PSNI team here. We have made some very innovative ideas and concepts in relation to public order policing in the past few years. So much so that officers from across the world have been looking at what we do as best practice. Integrating human rights and psychology side by side in terms of what we teach is vital to understanding how to manage crowds at times of heightened stress."
As part of his day-to-day role, Mr Jones is also responsible for dog training within the police force.
"This means that I not only have to manage staff to deliver training myself but we are all operational police offices who, amongst other things, assist in the planning and running of major events and protests across Northern Ireland."
The senior officer said the award was also in recognition of his colleagues in the PSNI.
"Sometimes it is not until you take a step back and look at things from a different angle do you realise just how good the staff are. I am really proud of my staff and I believe that I have the best job in the world," he added.
The award has been presented for a number of years but was renamed last year following the death of Superintendent Scottie Addison. He was from Cambridgeshire Constabulary and had been head of the Ashford Police College.
The award is in recognition of a long term contribution to policing and police training at a national level.
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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