Police awards in East Sussex: 'I take immense pride in catching criminals and playing my part in providing justice to the victims'

The annual East Sussex Divisional Awards showcase the achievements of dozens of officers and staff and were held at the Welcome Building in Eastbourne on Wednesday (October 12). Recipients were recognised for a variety of reasons, including complex investigations, proactive policing, and life-saving actions.

PC Annemarie Presland from Hastings Neighbourhood Response Team (NRT) was a recipient of a divisional commendation. She responded to a report of a woman wishing to end her life. PC Presland negotiated with the woman to meet her at a safe location, saving her life.

PC Firth, also from Hastings NRT, received a divisional commendation for his quick-thinking after a vehicle was stolen on November 3 2021. He ensured that the vehicle was recovered within an hour of the theft, with three violent and prolific offenders being arrested in the process. PC Firth said: “I noticed a report of a stolen vehicle in Battle and that there had been an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) activation for it entering Hastings not long after. I went looking in areas where I suspected the vehicle could get to without hitting any more cameras and after a short while located it in a cul-de-sac, parked up with three people in it. I called for support and once other officers arrived, we managed to block the car in and prevent the suspects from leaving in the vehicle.”

PC Jeremy ‘Jez’ Lowe, based out of Eastbourne NRT, has worked on the East Sussex Priority Arrest Team since its formation in March 2020. He has played a significant part in the arrest of almost 800 individuals that represent a high risk of causing harm to local communities. He received a divisional commendation for his outstanding work. PC Lowe said: “No day is the same in this job and I take immense pride in catching criminals and playing my part in providing justice to the victims. I enjoy working with so many different teams across the force and ending each shift really feeling like I’ve made a positive difference to local communities.”

PC Carla Lewis, from Eastbourne CID, received a certificate of merit for a particularly sensitive incident on September 27 2021. She attended an incident where a man was wishing to end his life. PC Lewis spent more than an hour talking to the man. He was eventually bought to safety thanks to PC Lewis’ empathy, care, and determination to give the man hope.

Chief Superintendent Katy Woolford, divisional commander, said: “Our officers and staff have all made the decision to help keep East Sussex safe by joining the force, and it is only right we say thank you and recognise their outstanding achievements. We also recognised the amazing efforts to help others by a number of partners and members of the community which was fantastic. It is an honour for me to personally thank each of the award winners for their unwavering determination, dedication and commitment to Sussex Police. Each day in policing brings with it new challenges. These outstanding individuals, across all areas of the force, have risen to these challenges to help us achieve our priorities: to protect communities, catch criminals and deliver an outstanding service.”

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