Police officers and staff praised for volunteering
Devon & Cornwall Police are praising officers and staff for the contribution they make to their communities outside their formal roles.
A recent internal pilot survey conducted across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly BCU showed at least one in five police officers and staff volunteer their free time outside the organisation within their communities, and it is widely accepted that this number is replicated across Devon and Plymouth.
To celebrate the diversity and contribution police officers and staff volunteers make in their communities, the University of Falmouth has made a short video. To watch the video click here.
The video shows the variety of volunteering roles undertaken across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, including RNLI lifesavers, sports coaches and committee members, and the positive benefits to the community.
As well as the video, all volunteers have received a letter of recognition and a specially designed badge to acknowledge their contribution.
The force are now replicating this internal survey across Devon and Plymouth to ensure officers and staff that volunteer in these communities can also be thanked in a similar way.
Inspector Miles Topham, from Devon & Cornwall Police said: “We are delighted to be able to celebrate the contribution made by officers and staff. Volunteering is often unrecognised - acknowledging and promoting these volunteers rewards both the volunteers personally, and their teams and colleagues. It may also encourage more people to recognise their contributions and get involved.
“The video highlights just some of the many volunteering roles taking place which we know about. We think the true number of people volunteering could be higher as some people have not identified their contribution as volunteering.
“We know during the Covid 19 (Coronavirus) pandemic our police and staff have continued to volunteer in their communities where it has been safe to do so.
“Working for the police is a challenging and rewarding role and to then volunteer within local communities goes above and beyond and benefits the community in so many positive ways.”
Director of the video Matthew Lennon from Mayn Creative said: “I'd like to say that I've loved the personal access that this project has given me. I've been blown away by the dedication to the caring and communal way of life that these officers preach. Seeing these officers out of uniform and contributing to the community with such driven purpose has given me insight into the values of being a police officer.
“In uncertain and challenging times, I'm glad to have these wonderful people at the forefront of such a necessary service.”
--- Note to readers: This message has been disseminated by Devon and Cornwall Police - please visit their official website for further information.
