Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry has praised heroic response and neighbourhood officers who helped save a woman’s life following concerns for her safety.
And she has vowed to ensure the force continues to keep the high standard in how it responds to emergency calls for help, as part of her commitment in the Make Notts Safe Plan.
The three response and two neighbourhood officers swiftly responded to reports of a potentially life-threatening incident in the north of the county.
Arriving within minutes the officers found the woman on a bridge forming part of the A1 and immediately teamed up in an effort to get her to engage with them and persuade her to come across onto the opposite side of the railings to safety.
Using past experiences and training, the five officers sprang into action with one of them managing to flag down a nearby single-decker bus for help.
As things continued to deteriorate all four officers on top of the bridge had to act within a split second to reach out and grab the woman’s arms and wrists to stop her from falling, placing their own safety at risk.
Working as a team, making sure not only the woman but that they weren’t going to slip either, they then had to hold on until other officers arrived to help pull her back to safety.
Response officer PC Glen Bradshaw, who was one of the first officers on the scene, said: “We knew as soon as we received the call that we would have to act quickly and use all our training and experience to bring this woman to safety.
“Thankfully I was able to flag down a bus that was travelling along the road and ask the driver for some assistance.
“You have to think so quickly in these cases and with the help of my colleagues on top of the bridge, I was able to get the bus positioned underneath as a precaution.
“Being a response cop and attending incidents like this is all about teamwork, making sure my colleagues are safe and most importantly the public are too.
“Protecting vulnerable people is a priority for the force and part of our job.”
Thankfully due to all five officers’ brave actions the woman was pulled to safety and later detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital.
The immense courage and skills of the response and neighbourhood teams, on that night in May, are being highlighted by the force as it marks the start of national ‘response policing week of action’.
The week is aimed at celebrating and shining a light on the hard work, courage and dedication of Nottinghamshire response officers and some of the daily challenges they face.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry paid tribute to the officers involved in the rescue.
“At times of crisis and emergency, response officers are usually the first people on the scene to help people in their hour of need,” she said.
“They protect vulnerable people and can be depended on by everyone to be there within minutes at what could be the most devastating or impactful incidents of their lives.
“The response officers who attended this incident, along with their neighbourhood officer colleagues, showed incredible ingenuity, bravery and tenacity to help save this woman’s life.
“It is important to recognise and be proud of the work of these outstanding officers, especially during national Response Policing Week of Action. We are incredibly fortunate in Nottinghamshire to have an excellent police response service and this is something I want to ensure we keep improving on to give people the best service possible."
Inspector Hayley Crawford, District Commander for Bassetlaw, said: “Thanks to the courageous work of these officers and the professionalism they showed a woman’s life was saved that evening.
“I am immensely proud of all the officers for their actions during this incident and really pleased to say that some are part of my neighbourhood policing team who supported their response colleagues to save a life.
“Response officers are so important to the force they are often the first officers on the scene of an incident and the first person a victim sees in a time when they need it most.
“Having worked as part of a response team myself I know how challenging the role is.
“For members of the public, the response officers are the visible face of the force and are quickly on scene minutes after what can sometimes be life-changing events.
“Our teams go above and beyond, and this incident is a perfect example of that and how much they care about the public and the role they play to protect the communities and people of Nottinghamshire.
Superintendent Kevin Broadhead, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “I have no doubt the actions of these five officers saved this woman’s life.
“They showed a tremendous amount of bravery, put themselves at risk and worked together as a team.
“They should be very proud of themselves and I would like to personally commend them for their bravery and professionalism in dealing with this incident.”
For anyone looking for support with their mental health is urged to speak to their doctor, call Samaritans free on 116 123 or email them at jo@samaritans.org or call the NHS on 111.
Posted on Monday 13th June 2022