Brave police officers and staff honoured
The outstanding achievements and bravery of Police Scotland officers and staff and members of the public have been celebrated by their peers and bosses.
The Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards was held virtually due to the pandemic, with officers and staff and award winners and their families able to view the ceremony remotely from across the country.
Chief Constable Iain Livingstone presented 25 bravery awards to 31 police officers and 16 members of the public.
Mr Livingstone said: “The past 12 months have underlined the relentless and challenging nature of policing.
“Officers and staff are playing a crucial role supporting the national response to coronavirus.
“At the same time, they continue to meet the needs of our communities, providing day-to-day policing and responding to a number of demanding and high profile incidents.
“The ceremony was an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding policing which occurs all over Scotland, day in, day out, and to commend members of the public for the selfless acts of bravery and courage to help their fellow citizens.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all our winners and nominees and thank them very much for their commitment to public service.
“I’m also grateful to Police Mutual for their continued support of this important event.”
Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousaf, added: “The Bravery and Excellence Awards allow us to reflect on selfless acts of courage which have made a real difference to people at their greatest time of need and to recognise the innovative and high quality work by officers and staff from across the service, the Scottish Police Authority and other partners.
“I want to thank all the officers, staff and members of the public, who were nominated for awards, for their service and support in these challenging times.
“I have always been proud of the dedication shown by our police officers and police staff, to keep us all safe, and the current pandemic has highlighted that the police workforce is highly adaptable in its response to new challenges.”