12 Sep Essex Police: Dog handlers recognised with awards
Two dog handlers received trophies in recognition of their hard work and dedication to serving the public
Pc Sophie Chesters (below right) and Pc Graham Nuth (above left) received the Jasper Cup and the Police Dog Handler of the Year trophies during a dedicated day that showcased the work of the Dog Section and teams in our Operational Policing Command on Saturday September 9, 2016.
The trophies were presented to the officers by our Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh and Superintendent Rachel Nolan during the dedicated day at our HQ in Chelmsford.
Pc Graham Nuth received the Dog Handler of the Year trophy along with Police Dog Cesar for his hard work and willingness to assist others regardless of the task.
When reading the citation, Supt Nolan stated that this year’s award could have been given to a number of individuals but Graham stood out for going above and beyond his duties.
In May 2016 following a report of suspects on a premises, Graham attended a building site in Basildon and along with PD Cesar, tracked a local offender to a nearby ditch. The offender was arrested and subsequently charged with burglary offences.
Graham and Cesar have located five high-risk missing persons in Essex already this year and received praise from District Commanders and Search Advisors for his hard work and perseverance when searching for and finding the most vulnerable of people and ensuring medical attention is given to them.
Another success this year for Graham and Cesar was when the pair stopped a vehicle in Basildon during the early hours of the morning. The driver and passenger were both men and one was wearing a ballistic vest. Graham and Cesar searched the car and found a lock knife and baseball bat in the back.
Both men were arrested at the scene and taken into police custody. A strip search was carried out in custody and the men were found to by carrying 62 individual wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.
As a recently qualified Dog Legislation Officer, he has worked unbelievably hard to support his colleagues and to round off an excellent years work, Graham and Cesar (right) finished as Runners Up in the recent Essex Dog Section Force Trials and Runners up in the Regional Trials scooping up the award for the Best Tracking/Search and the Taggart Shield in the process.
The pair proudly represented Essex Police at the National Trials in Northern Ireland.
The Jasper Cup commemorates former Essex Police Dog Jasper who sadly fell in service in 1996.
Whilst on patrol in 1996, Pc Steve Johnson and Police Dog Jasper responded to a report that burglary suspects had made off in a stolen vehicle towards the Cambridge border. When Pc Johnson and Jasper arrived at the scene, the suspects had abandoned the vehicle and made off on foot. Pc Johnson and Jasper began to track the suspects when Jasper was struck by a car. Sadly, he later died of his injuries.
The memory of Jasper lives on through the Jasper cup which is awarded to dog handlers that continually strive to keep the county safe.
The Jasper cup is in recognition of a single act of merit and is awarded to the officer who has demonstrated resilience and courage in the line of operational duty.
This year, Pc Sophie Chesters and Police Dog Ivy were recognised for their dedication to serving the public.
On May 9, 2016, Pc Chesters was on patrol in Cressing with PD Ivy when the duo responded to an incident where suspects where on a premises.
On arrival the two suspects fled the scene on foot and Sophie and Ivy tracked the pair for three quarters of a mile with Ivy still hot on the trail.
Determined to detain the suspects, Sophie and Ivy followed them across a river with Ivy swimming behind the pair. Sophie and Ivy quickly caught up with the soaking wet pair who were swiftly arrested. One suspect was a prolific burglar who was charged and remanded.
Pc Chesters and Ivy showed bravery and dedication throughout the incident and their perseverance led to a victim of burglary being reunited with priceless personal possessions
