Argyll police officer Laura Evans has won a national awards from the Scottish Police Federation.
PC Evans, who now lives and works in Campbeltown, was announced as the winner of the Community Commitment prize last Thursday at the ceremony held at Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth to celebrate bravery, unsung heroes and officers’ unwavering commitment to their communities and colleagues.
She took a demotion to move from the central belt to Dunoon, having previously served as an inspector for Police Scotland and now devotes her time to supporting elderly and vulnerable people.
She has engaged in a range of ways with rural communities; her colleagues say that “every single day, without question, Laura goes over and above what is expected of her”.
She has helped train more than 60 fellow officers on how to work more closely with mental health services, and secured funding for dementia tags to protect those living with the illness in remote areas.
PC Evans also arranges for vulnerable people to get call-blocking devices to safeguard them from scams and spends time visiting care homes, senior citizens groups and other organisations to raise awareness of fraud.
“I was delighted to be nominated but truly shocked to win this award!” she told the Courier.
“I have been a police officer for over 20 years, and there are fewer police officers to help people than ever before.
“I take pride in helping vulnerable people stay safe, and like all of my colleagues, I just wish there were more of us to help.
“We no longer have community police officers, and those on our response shifts are so under pressure that for me to be able to go out and engage with people to hopefully stop them becoming a victim of crime is truly amazing.
“Our older population need to be safeguarded and the dementia tag which is due to be rolled out nationally will give those living with this dreadful disease and their families peace of mind.
“A lot of my work is about building stronger and more resilient communities; really just encouraging everyone to look out for everyone else. Tell your grannie if you hear about a scam, speak to your neighbour about the dementia tag scheme, and just help us to spot something that’s out of the ordinary.
“I couldn’t do my work if it wasn’t for the wider community support from residents and other organisations so this award is really for everyone is Argyll and Bute for working so well together. ”
David Threadgold, who chairs the Scottish Police Federation, said that police officers continued to face unprecedented challenges, “but we are pleased to be able to take this opportunity to highlight their incredible efforts and the fantastic work they do”.
“All of our winners are hugely deserving and every single one of this year’s nominees should be immensely proud of their achievements. All the winners and nominees have worked tirelessly to protect the public, save lives, support colleagues and ultimately improve the communities they serve.”
Photograph: Philip Williams, from event sponsor Philip Williams and Co, PC Laura Evans, and event host Amy Irons. Photograph: Sandy Young/scottishphotographer.com. NO_A48PCLauraEvans_23_CommunityCommitmentwinner