Police officer wins award for saving man's life

PC Naomi Marrone of Humberside Police received a commendation from her commander after the incident, which she described as her proudest moment in her job.

Upon speaking to the man, she found out he had come off his medication and was suffering from anxiety and depression.

She realised that speaking into her police radio was upsetting him, and instead focused on making sure other officers were giving them space as she held him steady and gained his trust.

Although at one point he became aggressive towards some of her colleagues, she managed to safely get him down from the bridge.

He was detained under the Mental Health Act for his own safety and later admitted that he needed help but had been unsure where to go.

PC Marrone said, looking back on the incident: " I was extremely nervous before I arrived at the bridge having not dealt with many mental health related jobs before this. The thanks I received from the man, his family and from my supervisors confirmed to me that I dealt with the situation in the best possible way.

"I was nominated for the commendation because of the decisions I took and my calm communication. It’s my proudest moment in the job.”

Police Now is a social enterprise that works with 33 forces throughout England and Wales, and has recruited a total of 1,830 officers across 33 forces in the UK, including Humberside Police. Chief Constable Lee Freeman has invested in his communities by partnering with Police Now for the past four years, with 30 police constables and 10 detective constables joining the force via this route.

Police Now consistently recruits more officers who are women or from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds compared to any other entry route into policing. Police Now recruitment data shows that of those starting on Police Now's programmes in Humberside in 2020/21, one in five (20 per cent) identified as coming from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background and more than half (55 per cent) identified as women.

Officers on Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme have been working alongside their colleagues within their dedicated local neighbourhood teams. Communities where Police Now officers have been posted for the last 22-months across the force area have seen 257 fewer incidents of anti-social behaviour compared to the same time period from October 2016 – equivalent to a 6 per cent drop.

Co-founder of Police Now and former Detective Chief Inspector David Spencer, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the positive impact our participants continue to have within their local communities, and their commitment to driving positive change with their colleagues so that everyone in our society, including the most vulnerable, have a chance to thrive”.