During a special ceremony, Constable Shane McCarthy received a silver merit award for helping pull 77-year-old Neta Lawrence from her burning Mt Maunganui home. Photo / Stuart Whitaker
During a special ceremony, Constable Shane McCarthy received a silver merit award for helping pull 77-year-old Neta Lawrence from her burning Mt Maunganui home. Photo / Stuart Whitaker
Six Western Bay police personnel and a member of the public have been recognised with awards for going the extra mile - four of them have been credited with saving lives.
During a special ceremony at Tauranga police station last week Constable Shane McCarthy received a silver merit award forhelping pull 77-year-old Neta Lawrence from her burning Mount Maunganui home on July 6, 2014.
Constables Blair Robertson and Murray McGowan received District Commanders' Commendations for their teamwork in saving a distressed man's life on May 31, 2015.
Member of the public Quinn O'Connell received a District Commanders Certificate of Appreciation for his lifesaving actions at Mount Maunganui Beach on January 24 this year.
Also recognised with a District Commanders Commendation was Detective Matthew Valentine for his "professionalism, commitment and investigative excellence" during a gang-related home invasion investigation he headed in 2013 dubbed Operation Plummers. Two men suffered serious injuries including the loss of an eye.
Sally Bradbury, a dedicated fingerprint officer, received an Area Commanders' Certificate of Appreciation for her outstanding service to Western Bay police.
Constable Ian Sadler received a Police Commissioner's Commendation for creating an innovative time-saving filing system named the SWIFT program, which front-line officers access from their mobile phones.
At the ceremony 18 police staff received long service badges or clasps.
