They are to receive commendations and certificates of merit at a special ceremony starting at 2pm on Wednesday 2 November at the Lecture Theatre, Kent Police College.

The media are invited to send representatives to the ceremony (please be there by 1.45pm).

Photographs of those receiving awards will be available next week and if you would like copies please contact Media Services or get in touch with officers by contacting your local area media officer.

Here is a list of some of those who are to receive commendations and certificates of merit. It is not a full list as not everyone wants publicity.

The Chief Constable’s Commendation for Bravery is awarded to PC Stephen Callow.

In May last year, PC Stephen Callow was called to the Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone Kent where a woman was trying to drown herself. The report had come from another woman who, by the time, PC Callow arrived, was also in the sea and getting into difficulties as she tried to save the suicidal woman from harm.

Without hesitating, PC Callow took off his equipment belt and stab vest and swam out into the very cold water. He succeeded in rescuing both women, despite the suicidal female resisting his help.

His brave and decisive actions undoubtedly saved both lives.

The Chief Constable’s Commendation for Bravery is awarded to PC Paul Howe.

One evening in July 2004, a man left home with the intention of killing himself, he left behind his distraught child who called the police.

Using local knowledge and instinct PC Paul Howe soon found the man in a secluded place on Western Heights in Dover. He had poured petrol over himself and his car and, with matches to hand, was threatening to set light to himself.

PC Howe began to talk to him but, as soon as he understood that the man was about to set light to himself, PC Howe ran forward and restrained him.

In the struggle that followed PC Howe was injured as the man resisted, he also ended up soaked in petrol, which could have been set alight at any moment, but he continued to restrain the man until colleagues arrived to help him. Afterwards, even though he was shaken and injured, PC Howe, showed compassion and chose not to prosecute for assault.

The Chief Constable’s Commendation is awarded to PC Robert Scott-Mackie and PC Luke Saunders for their bravery and selfless actions in detaining a violent and aggressive man when faced with, what appeared to be, a handgun.

In July 2004, while attending a domestic violence incident in a house, the officers found signs of a violent disturbance and an agitated, verbally aggressive man in a bedroom.

PC Scott-Mackie skilfully calmed the man and then both PCs spoke to the neighbours who told them that he was the estranged husband of an occupant who had fled in fear after the man smashed his way into her home.

When the police constables returned to the bedroom to arrest the man he was waiting with a handgun and shouted, “Now get out of my house”.

They wrestled with the man, who violently resisted, and PC Saunders managed to get the gun off him and he was detained. The gun was later found to be a realistic imitation.

The Chief Constable’s Commendation is awarded to PC William Betts and PC Christopher Taylor for bravery and decisive actions.

PCs William Betts and Christopher Taylor attended the Q8 petrol station in the early hours of the morning where an offender wearing a balaclava facemask had approached the till. Finding him nearby in possession of, what appeared to be, a firearm, they arrested and searched him. He had on him an imitation firearm and a note demanding cash.

The Chief Constable’s Commendation is awarded to PC Glynn Wright, PC David Morgan and PC David Higham for their courage, determination and decisive actions.

On 29 March 2004 three masked men, each armed with a crowbar, were trying to rob a commercial premises in Tunbridge Wells. As the men tried to leave in their get-away vehicle, PCs Wright and Morgan were able to stop them despite being outnumbered by the robbers who were clearly prepared to use extreme violence. They arrested two immediately and the third offender after a foot chase and violent struggle.

PC Higham had responded to a call for assistance from his colleagues and without thought for his personal safety chased one of the offenders on foot into an unlit field.

The Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit is awarded to DCI Dean Barnes, DI Jonathon Holl and DS Kevin Barton in recognition of their professionalism, skill and hard work in investigating the death of a young and vulnerable woman.

This murder investigation began when on 26 July 2003, the body of 21-year-old Amanda Champion was found in Ashford.

Amanda had suffered a violent, premeditated attack by a stranger upon a vulnerable young victim. DCI Barnes was the SIO, DI Jonathan Holl, his deputy and DS Kevin Barton the case officer.

Evidence linking James Philip Ford to the murder was recovered by innovative and otherwise untested means and resulted in the conviction of Ford for murder.

At the end of the trial, Judge Patience commended the officers for their thoroughness, professionalism and skill, particularly remarking upon their tact, sensitivity and delicacy in dealing with the charity, The Samaritans.

The Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit is awarded to DI Nigel Shambler for outstanding professional conduct and to DS Gavin Moss for commitment and professionalism during the course of a major crime enquiry.

Early one Saturday morning in November 2002, a fire at 10 Victoria Street, Eccles resulted in the death of Matthew Thatcher. Although early enquiries suggested it was a tragic accident, later the victim’s partner, Kerry Hogben was suspected of starting the fire deliberately.

A protracted and meticulous investigation resulted in Hogben being charged for murder, eventually she pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

The Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit is awarded to Robert McCaughan for his valuable contribution to national policing .

Robert McCaughan, Force Security Officer for Kent has established a regime at Kent Police that is the envy of many forces and has been influential in bringing awareness to colleagues of security issues that are now a significant part of the culture of the force. He has also been a key member of the ALPO Anti-Corruption Advisory Group, The National Betting Working Group and Chair of the National ALPO Vetting Forum and has been instrumental in the National Vetting Policy for the Police Service.

The Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit s awarded to PC Susan Spencer-Lewis fort initiating and developing training regime that has improved the quality of evidence available to officers investigating crimes committed in prison.

PC Susan Spencer-Lewis, the prison liaison officer for the three Isle of Sheppey prisons. In addition to her usual responsibilities, and on her own initiative, she devised a bespoke training package for HMP staff covering crime scene management and preserving and collecting evidence when a crime is committed in prison and has trained many HMP staff. As a result, there has been an improvement in the quality of evidence available to police responsible for investigating offences committed inside the prisons.

Her work has been recognised by the Strategic Crime Reduction Department and the Prison Liaison Team at Force Headquarters and has been disseminated to ACPO officers in other forces.

The Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit is awarded to Diane Tate and Vicky Cowell for their work in the design, production and implementation of the Cosmos Intelligence System.

In November 2002 development work began on an IT system for the management of covert intelligence material and sources, which was successfully delivered and named Cosmos.

As a result of the work by the team responsible, Kent Police can better manage and protect its most valuable covert assets. The system is far superior to other commercially available products, has received highly favourable comment by the Surveillance Commissioners and a number of other forces are interested in acquiring it too.

The Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit is awarded to PC Timothy Harris and police dog Oscar, in recognition of their outstanding performance, profession-alism, tenacity and dedication to duty.

Between April 2003 and March 2004 PC Timothy Harris and Oscar were responsible for 94 arrests in Medway; a level of performance that has been maintained throughout PC Harris’s seven years service with the dog unit. Together they have been a winning team, Oscar has now retired.

The Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit s awarded to PC Nigel Marshall and police dog Jacob, in recognition of their outstanding performance, professionalism, tenacity and dedication to duty.

Between April 2003 and March 2004 PC Nigel Marshall and Jacob from Maidstone were responsible for 83 arrests often in the face of threats or serious violence in support of colleagues or on PC Martshall’s initiative.

As well as this and keeping Jacob in peak physical condition PC Marshall always gets his paperwork done to a high standard and on time.

The Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit is awarded to Sgt Gordon Etheridge in recognition of outstanding professional conduct and commitment.

In March 2004 Sgt Gordon Etheridge successfully applied for the first closure order in Kent under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003.

The closure order was in a neighbourhood in Thanet that had suffered crime and disorder over a long period of time, the people using the premises had had a very bad effect on the quality of life of the community. Over several weeks Sgt Etheridge co-ordinated the gathering of intelligence and evidence to support the application, and worked with other agencies to ensure its success.

Once the order was in force, many local people expressed their relief and, as the first application of its kind in Kent, the closure has been of great interest to other areas.

The Chief Constable’s Commendation is awarded to DI Robert Vinson and Peter George in recognition of his courage and professionalism investigating a serious sexual assault committed on one of the world’s most remote inhabited islands.

In October 2004 six men were convicted of a string of sex attacks on Pitcairn. Peter George displayed commitment and professionalism in his role in investigating the crimes on Pitcairn Island. Despite the great difficulties encountered he remained dedicated to his duty and his actions have brought great credit to both himself and Kent Police, for which he is commended.

The Chief Constable’s Certificate of Merit is awarded to Sgt David Matson in recognition of courage and professionalism.

Sgt David Matson was off duty with family and friends in a Faversham pub when a customer threw a bar stool and broke a mirror, optics and glasses before running off.

Sgt Matson pursued the man and caught him in Cross Lane where, despite the offender struggling violently to break free, Sgt Matson held on to him for 20 minutes. Once colleagues arrived the man, who turned out to be a criminal with a history of violent behaviour, was arrested. Police Sergeant 8618 David Matson displayed courage, tenacity and professionalism in the finest traditions of the police service, for which he is commended.