POLICE officers who put their lives on the thin blue line have been recognised in a special ceremony.

Superintendent Andy Boyd, the local policing area commander for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse, gave out commendations to five officers in the area who had gone above and beyond the line of duty, after they were nominated by their line managers.

Supt Boyd, who has been police commander for South and Vale since January 2013, said: “I find it depressing when I hear about repeated cynicism with regards to the police. I accept we don’t always get it right but we do aspire to policing of the highest standards.

“We are tremendously proud of the fact that we have some of the lowest crime rates in the county, and you are less likely to be a victim of crime here than anywhere else in Oxfordshire.

“That is down to the actions of officers such as these, who have the courage to step forward and protect their communities.”

In South Oxfordshire and Vale of the White Horse, there were only 2,665 crimes recorded between April 1 and July 31. This compares to 4,529 in Oxford and 3,403 in Cherwell and West Oxfordshire during the same period.

Saving people's lives and disrupting drug dealers

  • PC DAVID PALFREYMAN

In January last year, Pc Palfreyman, below, was called to The Boatman pub in Wallingford to a report that a man had taken off his clothes and gone into the fast-flowing river.
Pc Palfreyman eventually managed to talk the man out of the river.

The 38-year-old said: “A member of the public saw him go in and my initial thought was that it was someone who was committing suicide.

“I tried to get his mind off what he wanted to do. I don’t think any officer would think twice about it.

“Obviously is it nice to be recognised for things but it is strange because for us it is something we don’t think about.”

  • PC JASON WALSH

PC Jason Walsh, below, went to a flat in Faringdon where an offender had committed arson with intent to endanger life.

He attempted to enter the flat where the fire was, but was unable to do so because of the heavy door. He alerted the other residents and evacuated the block.

When the fire service arrived they rescued a semi-conscious man and PC Walsh helped give first aid.

The 30-year-old said: “I needed to think quickly and make a risk assessment. 
“I didn’t think twice about going in because it’s my job and I knew I needed to get people out of there.

“It is a great honour to know that I saved the man’s life.”

  • PC SAM RENDALL

In March last year, PC Rendall was called to a garage in Didcot to a report that a man had hanged himself.

He appeared to still be alive and the caller asked for assistance. When Pc Rendall arrived at the scene he carried out CPR for 10 minutes until an air ambulance doctor arrived.

PC Rendall then secured the scene until the forensics team arrived while a colleague spent time talking to the victim’s ex-wife. Unfortunately the man died.

The 28-year-old said: “It was quite a surreal experience. My first reaction was to preserve the man’s life.

“I am really pleased to have been given this commendation.”

  • SGT AIDAN DONOHOE AND PC CHRIS GIBSON

In March this year, Sgt Donohoe, main picture, went to Chinnor, where he saw a man jump into a car as soon as he saw the police. He tried to block the car into a parking space but the car was able to get away.

Pc Gibson then arrived and followed the car, which drove into a fence. Out of four people in the car, two were arrested and a bag of between four and five kilograms of cannabis was found near the scene.

The arrest led to Thames Valley Police searching a house in Slough and finding £50,000 worth of cash.

Sgt Donohoe, 44, said: “I was very happy about that but I don’t think he was. When you get drugs and cash together you really hit these suppliers and it is nice to be commended.”

Pc Gibson, below, was also given another commendation for his role in the burglary of a pub in Benson which he was due to be given last year, but he was on duty at the time of the ceremony.

The 30-year-old said: “It is so often a team effort. You do your bit and if some good comes out of it that’s what you went out to achieve.”

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