Page 20 - WMPF Federation Aug-Sept 2018flip_Neat

Care of Police Survivors

COPS service honours

fallen officers

olice officers from across the UK experience of having lost a family member a minute’s silence for:
joined the families of those who have who was a police officer. They included PC Steve Jenkins,
Plost loved ones in the police service to Heather Dallow, the wife of West Midlands Gwent Police – 6 October 2017
attend an annual service of remembrance PC Robert Dallow who died in 1995. PC John Alcock,
at the National Memorial Arboretum in Margaret Logan talked about losing her rampian Police – 7 October 2017
Alrewas. husband, Reserve Constable Clifford Evans of PC James Dixon,
West Midlands Police Federation chair the former Royal Ulster Constabulary, who Thames Valley Police – 5 December 2017
Rich Cooke and Chief Constable Dave died in 1976; Caroline Speakman recounted PC David Fields,
Thompson were among those at the service her struggles to come to terms with the South Yorkshire Police – 25 December 2017
organised by the charity Care of Police loss of her brother, PC Jonathan Speakman Senior Forensic Practitioner Jacob Maselino,
Survivors (COPS). of Cheshire Police who died in 2005 while Met Police – 28 January 2018.
The service was opened by Jan Berry, rescuing children from a rip-tide on an After the service and despite heavy rain,
former Federation national chair and COPS Australian beach and John Fordham gave an families and other guests made their way to
chair of trustees, and included moving uplifting speech about moving on after the The Beat, the avenue of trees dedicated to
inputs from four people with personal death of his father, DC John Fordham of the each force, where roses and wreaths were
Met who died in 1985. laid in memory of fallen officers.
Caroline There was praise for the way in which Before the service, officers who took part
Speakman COPS had helped them stay connected to in the Police Unity Tour (PUT), which involved
talks about the police family and offered them and their more than 350 riders cycling the length and
the loss of families support. breadth of the UK, rode into the arboretum.
her brother. During the service, this year’s roll of Each cyclist wore a wristband dedicated to
honour was read by COPS national president the memory of an officer who lost their life
Denis Gunn with the congregation observing on duty, as well as raising funds for COPS.

The congregation shelters
from the rain for the service.

20 federation August/September 2018 www.polfed.org/westmids