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Reporter Alex Hayes went to a car compound near Iver to collect a car which had been towed away by a clamping company.
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Awards for bravery and determination
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| Marie-Anne Riley was recognised for her part in catching a prolific thief |
NEARLY 50 awards were handed out yesterday for acts of bravery and dedication.
The Police Commendation Ceremony was held at the GlaxoSmithKline club in Oldfield Lane North, Greenford, to celebrate outstanding acts by both police officers and members of the public.
They were recognised for their actions in extraordinary circumstances such as catching drug dealers, tackling people armed with knives, evacuating a building during a fire and pioneering new drug testing processes to speed up arrests.
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Agnieszka Grzondziel received two awards from the Borough Commander for Ealing, Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor.
Her first award was for outstanding dedication in helping to communicate with and comfort a Polish woman whose husband drowned in the Grand Union Canal last November.
The victim had gone missing after a fishing trip, and his body was found almost two weeks later in the canal.
PCSO Grzondziel gave up her free time to go with his widow to identify the body, and realising she had no money used her contacts in the Polish community to raise funds for the family.
The 25-year-old, who has been with the police for just over a year, said: "It was very hard and it got quite emotional as I felt sorry for the victim's family, and I thought it would be unfair to leave her like that.
"I still keep in touch with her now, but it was hard as I had not been in the job that long, and I had never been to an identification or anything like that. She has now taken his ashes back to Poland and moved back theor with their children."
PCSO Grzondziel was also recognised for her part in catching a group of burglars in East Acton in December. She chased one of the suspects, who had been disturbed after breaking into a house.
She said: "When I got home and thought about what I had done I realised how scary it should have been, but at the time all I was thinking about was catching him".
One member of the public who was handed an award was Marie-Anne Riley, who caught Adam Packowski, a prolific thief, after he took a purse from a pensioner on a bus.
After noticing Packowski acting suspiciously near the pensioner on the 207 last August, she asked the woman to check her bag. The victim then discovered Packowski had taken her purse.
Mrs Riley confronted him, and, with the help of other passengers, stopped him from leaving the bus.
When police arrived they found the purse, which had been dumped by the thief, who was known to carry a protected razor blade in his mouth to slit bags with.
Mrs Riley, 53, who works as an office manager for Ealing Police, said: "It happened so quickly I really didn't have time to think about what I was doing as I was so angry.
"It wasn't just me, as a lot of passengers joined in, and even security guards from the job centre where the bus had stopped came to help, even though they didn't know exactly what was going on.
"Because I work for the police I hear the stories of old ladies being targeted and having their bags snatched, so it made me more aware of what was going on."
Packowski jailed for three months for the theft.
Six police constables who risked their lives to stop a man wielding a meat cleaver and a kitchen knife were also recognised for their bravery.
The officers were called to Empire Road in Perivale, last November, and one of the PCs chased the man on foot, while another followed in a car. He was subsequently joined by four more officers.
They managed to surround the man in the street, and he started lashing out at the PCs with the knife. He was sprayed with CS gas and dropped both blades, and officers were able to wrestle him to the ground.
PC Amy Burgess, 27, said: "When he fell to the ground he landed on one of the knives and grabbed it from under him and pulled it out.
"We were all suffering the effects of CS spray, so none of us could see properly, and I went to take the knife from him and was cut on the back of my hand. Then one of my colleagues managed to take it off him.
"Quite a large crowd had gathered to watch, and we could hear people screaming, so our first thought was to protect the public.
"I would definitely act in the same way if the situation happened again as no-one got hurt except for me, and we had a positive outcome."
The man was later sectioned under the mental health act for his own protection.
7:12am Tuesday 13th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Michael Fitzpatrick, Ex Northolt on 8:31pm Sat 17 May 08
[quote][bold]outstanding acts by both police officers and members of the public.[/bold] [/quote]
Am I missing something??
Are Not Police and their Micky Mouse Assistants meant to catch Criminals!!
Are not the rest of us meant to help our fellow man??
What is outstanding.
In a previous life I have twice been to The Central Criminal Court and once to Isleworth to give evidence that convicted violent offenders. I was not awarded because I was only doing what is right helping someone else. THAT IS YOUR DUTY.
outstanding acts by both police officers and members of the public.
Am I missing something??
Are Not Police and their Micky Mouse Assistants meant to catch Criminals!!
Are not the rest of us meant to help our fellow man??
What is outstanding.
In a previous life I have twice been to The Central Criminal Court and once to Isleworth to give evidence that convicted violent offenders. I was not awarded because I was only doing what is right helping someone else. THAT IS YOUR DUTY.
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