Two Exeter Police officers included in honours list for long service
Police officers and staff from Devon and Cornwall Police have been honoured for their years of service at a special ceremony at Padbrook Park, Cullompton. Included in the honours list are Exeter-based Detective Constable Pippa Davies and Fingerprint Expert Emma Parsons.
The ten officers and staff were recognised for 20 years’ service by Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer and Sir John Cave, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Devon.
Officers and staff receiving long service and good conduct awards at the ceremony on 29th October 2012 were:
Detective Constable Pippa Davies – headquarters, Exeter
Fingerprint Expert Emma Parsons – headquarters, Exeter
Detective Constable Nichola Barrett - Plymouth Sergeant Martin Robert Borbon - Torquay Police Constable Keith Bradshaw - Crediton Police Constable David Buckland – St Austell Sergeant Simon Butler – Barnstaple Police Constable Russell Charnley - Totnes Police Constable Mark Hendry - Lynton Police Constable Andy Peel - Barnstaple
Detective Constable Pippa Davies Pippa joined Devon and Cornwall Police in 1992 having trained at Chantmarle, where she met her husband Paul. The training school romance blossomed with Paul quickly following PIppa into Devon and Cornwall.
Having spent her probation at Torquay, Pippa moved to Exeter where, in 1996, she became the face of Devon and Cornwall, appearing on publications such as the community awareness workbook and the Charter Mark promotional leaflets.
In 1998 came the first of many recognitions for Pippa’s work when she was awarded a chief constable’s commendation for courage and tenacity, having chased and caught two members of a gang of eight who had been fighting with hammers and other weapons.
An interest in training and coaching developed, and in 2004, Pippa joined the core skills development unit tutoring student officers.
In 2006 Pippa became a BCU trainer where again her professionalism and dedication was recognised in receiving two commander’s certificates for her contribution to training. Having gained a City and Guilds qualification in teaching and an A1 assessor’s certificate.
Pippa moved into the CID and was once again recognised with two commander’s certificates for her significant contribution to improving investigation and services to victims of domestic abuse.
In 2009, just prior to her move into the crime training unit, Pippa gave a presentation to representatives of the Saudi Arabian and Iraqi police forces, such as Major General Baraka bin Zamel Al Hoshan, the Head of King Fadh’s security college.
Pippa moved to her current role in crime training in 2010 where the international aspects of her work continued, when she travelled to Greece on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to raise knowledge and awareness for Greek officers in relation to dealing with victims of sexual assault. She is now an integral part of the delivery team involved in the ICIDP(CID) course along with other specialist courses for child and vulnerable adult interviewing, family liaison and sexual offence liaison officers.
As part of this team Pippa continues to be recognised for her professionalism approachability and innovative training which provides a lively high energy environment in which she continues to inspire and mould the next generation of investigators.
Fingerprint Expert Emma Parsons Emma joined HQ CID admin on 15th January 1990 as a clerk/typist. Part of the role was to provide typing cover to the major incident support team and also act as secretary to the then Detective Chief Superintendent, David Hodson. Within a few weeks of joining, Emma was asked to provide cover in MIST for a member of staff who was on long-term sick.
Early 1990 was a very busy time – something like 15 or 16 major investigations running at the same time! Three were very high profile:
The Aston Inquiry – the re-investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police into the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings (better known as the Birmingham six inquiry), Emma was put in charge of a team of clerical staff who provided the administration, typing and inputting of witness statements into the HOLMES system.
The Gower Inquiry – the re-investigation into the Darvell brothers who had been convicted of the 1985 murder of a Swansea sex shop manageress – again inputting information into the HOLMES system and also in 1990 Emma was involved with inputting all the witness statements and reports into the HOLMES system from the investigation into the missing 13 year old schoolgirl Genette Tate who disappeared whilst delivering newspapers in Aylesbeare in August 1978 which was originally run as a manual system.
MIST team worked incredibly long hours, Emma didn’t have a day off in six weeks, working a minimum of 12 hour days and often working well into the early hours of the following morning.
At the end of the Birmingham six inquiry Emma was awarded a chief constable’s commendation.
In 1992 after applying for a ‘trainee fingerprint officer’ post, Emma followed a five-year training programme at the force fingerprint bureau in Exmouth and became a fingerprint expert in 1996.
Emma has worked on numerous large-scale cases and major incidents, one of which was Operation Rowan, a double murder investigation in Wadebridge on bonfire night 2003. After identifying finger marks of both suspects on a double-barrelled shotgun used in an armed robbery which was linked to the murders, Emma received a divisional commander’s commendation in 2004.
In February 1996, Emma represented the force as part of the emergency acquisition programme in Washington State, USA. She spent one month searching unidentified crime scene marks that had been submitted by all of the UK Forces involved in the AFR consortium at the IBM facility in Tacoma.
In 2007 Emma became one of only two fingerprint experts within the force qualified to supervise the taking of fingerprints from suspects who have been arrested under the Terrorism Act.
In May 2010, already holding the post of fingerprint bureau trainer, and having recently gained the ‘preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector’ qualification, Emma was seconded into the role of scientific support unit training manager where she remains today – a post she thoroughly enjoys!
Emma would like to thank all her family, in particular her husband Steve, her daughter Megan and her son Benjamin for all their love and support.
