Officer's passion for policing recognised by memorial award

Police Constable James Barrett was presented with the Daniel Cooper Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to Members of the Public at our Wiltshire Police Awards Ceremony.

The Dan Cooper Memorial Award looks to remember the life and contribution of PC Dan Cooper. Dan tragically lost his life at just 22 years of age when his patrol car was in a collision with a tree whilst on duty on the evening of the 1st February 2010.

The Dan Cooper memorial award, aims to remember Dan's outstanding commitment to public service and is presented to an officer, who within the year, has consistently displayed this ethos and values.

Dan's parents, Heather and Andy Cooper, in conjunction with the Force selected the worthy recipient as PC James Barrett. They attended the ceremony to present the award and reflected on what the award means to them in keeping Dan's memory alive throughout the Force.

James is described by his sergeant as "the first officer to arrive at the beginning of the shift and usually the last to leave. He has a passion for policing across the board and is an excellent community officer. He takes ownership for his work and always demonstrates the highest level of commitment to his job.

"James treats everyone with respect. He shows great empathy when dealing with victims ensuring they are kept up to date with the investigations. When dealing with suspects, regardless of the circumstances, James will listen and treat them the same as any other member of the public. This award is recognition of his commitment to setting high standards and delivering an exceptional level of service to Wiltshire Police and the communities we serve."

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills said, "Dan is remembered by his colleagues, as a warm, humorous, engaging, professional young man and police officer.  

"At the heart of what policing meant to Dan, was an unwavering commitment to treating people, regardless of their background and circumstances, with dignity, respect and care.

"These are all characteristics PC James Barrett has consistently shown throughout his duties as a police constable. He is a truly deserving winner of such an important award and we are delighted to have him as part of our Force. We look forward to seeing what his future at Wiltshire Police brings."