Top Cops and Heroes Scooping Big Honours in King’s New Year List
From chief officers to frontline volunteers, policing stars across the UK have bagged prestigious honours in His Majesty the King’s New Year’s Honours List. The awards recognise their fierce dedication to keeping communities safe and driving diversity and inclusion.
Police Chiefs Praise The Best in the Business
Martin Hewitt, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, hailed the recipients, saying:
“I congratulate and pay my respects to all of those recognised for their service to policing in His Majesty the King’s New Year’s Honours List. It is great to see so many officers, staff, and volunteers from across the country being awarded for their contributions to local communities and public safety.
“The awards highlight the commitment and hard work of policing to protect and keep our communities safe all year round and everyone should be rightly proud to be recognised in this way.”
Order of the Bath and OBE Winners
- Companions of the Order of the BathDr Nina Cope, former Director General of the National Crime Agency (NCA), honoured for services to law enforcement and diversity.
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)Hadley Gill (NCA), David Kevin Lawes (City of London Police), and Jonathan Peter Mearns (Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism) – recognised for their outstanding services to policing and diversity.
MBEs and BEMs Shine for Dedication
- MBEs awarded to a host of officers including Emma Brown and Ewa Cantrill (NCA), Detective Inspector Phillip Collins and Detective Sergeant Nigel Goodband (British Transport Police), along with campaigners and trustees supporting victims of crime and wellbeing initiatives.
- British Empire Medal (BEM) recipients range from community volunteers like Nicola Baboneau (Met Police) to police musicians and armed forces champions.
King’s Police Medal: The Elite Honoured
The prestigious King’s Police Medal (KPM) went to top police figures nationwide including Constable John Bannon (PSNI), Deputy Chief Constables Emma Barnett (Staffordshire Police), Phillip Cain (North Yorkshire), and Lee Freeman (Humberside Police). Several detective inspectors, sergeants, and chief superintendents from the Metropolitan Police and other forces also received the KPM for their exceptional service.
Special Mentions from Royal Victorian Order and Overseas Territories
- Barbara Gray, Assistant Commissioner at Metropolitan Police, made Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.
- Members include Commander Adesola Adelekan and retired officers Simon Hammett and Fiona Wilson of the Met Police.
- Overseas Territories Police Medal awarded to Maria Atalioti (Sovereign Base Areas Police, Cyprus) and Elliott Forbes (Royal Anguilla Police Force) for services promoting policing, diversity, and inclusion.
The honours spotlight the bravery, skill, and dedication of British policing. These officers and volunteers go above and beyond to protect the public and champion diversity – true heroes of the Kingdom.
