Almost 500 people attended the RCIPS Outstanding Service Awards event at the Ritz-Carlton, George Town, on Friday night (16 March 2012).

Six awards were presented at the event:-  Police Officer of the Year, Support Staff Member of the Year, Community Award, Special Constable of the Year, Diversity Award and the Police Welfare Award.

All profits from the event, which was completely underwritten by corporate sponsorship and tickets sales, will benefit the Police Welfare Fund.  Last year’s inaugural event raised $50,000 for the Welfare Fund. This year’s event is expected to surpass that total.

The Police Welfare Fund was originally established to assist children of police officers who died while in service. However, the Fund has now expanded to cover a wide range of circumstances, such as illness or injury, to support members and their dependents in times of need. In the past year $75,000 was provided by the Fund to help 25 RCIPS families. In addition, as a direct result of last year’s inaugural RCIPS Outstanding Service Awards event, scholarships have now been offered to RCIPS staff and their children to the tune of $19,000.

Commissioner of Police David Baines, in his introductions, shared his appreciation for the overwhelming support and generosity. “Tonight we celebrate all that is good about policing and community safety in the Cayman Islands,” he said. “All while benefitting a really great cause – the Police Welfare Fund.”

Senior Police Constable Miguel McFarlane was named as Police Officer of the Year. Miguel’s beat is the George Town waterfront. He is referred to by many as the face of the RCIPS and is held in high regard by tourists, residents and business people alike for his professional approach.

Venice Tatum is the Administrative Secretary at Cayman Brac police station. She was named as Support Staff Member of the Year. Venice was nominated, by her colleagues, seven times and for two separate awards. She is described as the “backbone”, the “heartbeat” and the “engine” of the police station – and when she is not carrying out her daytime role, she is also a Special Constable.

This year two great finalists shared the Community Award.

Ray McGuire, Edward Azan and Charles Ebanks, the three brave have-a-go heroes who, despite being threatened with a gun and pepper sprayed, heroically detained the suspects who had terrified staff and tried to rob the Blackbeard’s liquor store in Grand Harbour last May shared the award with three people who braved treacherous seas to try and save four men who had been thrown into the water when their boat capsized in June

Peter Foster-Smith and Charlotte Roselev, of Sunset Divers, had been on a dive boat with Charlotte’s friend Martin Jensen when they saw a small boat capsize. Peter battled extremely rough seas while Charlotte and Martin entered and the re-entered the water, facing repeated personal danger, to pull the four men, none of whom were wearing life jackets, onto the dive boat. They took the men to shore where paramedics were waiting.  Unfortunately one of the men could not be resuscitated and died. But for the bravery of Peter, Charlotte and Martin, the death toll could have been much higher.

This Year’s Special Constable of the Year is Special Constable Medardo Martinez. Special Constables volunteer their services and work alongside regular police officers – without pay. Medardo worked almost 700 hours in 2011, making him the Special Constabulary’s top performer – all while carrying out his full-time job!  He works every Friday night with the George Town shifts and has been involved in a number of significant arrests this year. He is a valuable and popular member of the RCIPS team.

Constable Sharon Baillie, of West Bay, picked up this year’s Diversity Award. Sharon has excelled in devising projects with the young and old to keep them engaged with each other and the wider RCIPS. She is responsive to the needs of everyone in her community and is a fine example of Neighbourhood policing.

Finally the winner of the RCIPS Welfare Award was Sergeant Winsome Prendergast. Winsome was nominated for her unrelenting commitment to the Welfare of police staff. She is also the former President of the Welfare Committee.

“We had a great response both from within the Service and from the Community when we announced that the nominations had opened,” said Commissioner Baines. “The standard of submissions was extremely high and the judging panel had a very difficult task choosing the finalists and the eventual winners. But it’s clear that everyone who was nominated, whether they are a police officer or a member of the community, should be considered a winner tonight. The fact that their bravery, their professionalism and their commitment to do the right thing inspired others to nominate them is testament to the great work that is taking place every day throughout these Islands – in the name of policing and community safety.”

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