Solheim safety is in hands of female trio

An all-female team of senior police officers will be on guard for the Solheim Cup next month.

The tournament will be the first ever major event in Scotland to feature an all-female police command structure ensuring public safety.

Three vastly experienced officers - chief superintendents Sharon Milton and Suzie Mertes, and Superintendent Maggie Pettigrew - will take control of safety proceedings when the biggest competition in women’s golf gets under way on September 9.

The Solheim Cup is the biggest single sporting event in Scotland in 2019 and is expected to draw in the region of 100,000 fans to the world-renowned PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles.

The officers have all carried out commander roles at major events in Scotland before, just this time they will be working together to make the Solheim Cup an enjoyable public event for all.

In 2005, Chief Superintendent Milton policed the G8 Summit at Gleneagles while more recently, she was gold commander at the Women’s Tour of Scotland cycling event.

Chief Superintendent Mertes has held numerous commander roles at major events, including T in the Park and the Ryder Cup, and was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in 2018.

Superintendent Pettigrew was also a commander at the Ryder Cup in 2014 and The Open.

Chief Superintendent Sharon Milton said:“We are delighted to be supporting the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles this year and it is fantastic to have a strong team, including for the first time we believe a command team made up of female officers, on hand to provide policing support to this major event.”