Force receives Ministry of Defence accolade for its support of Armed Forces

The force was awarded Gold in the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) back in August.

And yesterday evening (Tuesday) Assistant Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith, Inspector Lucy Sewell and HR Business Partner Jat Virk attended a special event in London to receive the award on the force’s behalf from Chief of Defence Staff General, Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter.

The gold award represents the highest badge of honour available to organisations that employ and support those who serve, veterans and their families.

Assistant Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith said: "Warwickshire Police has a long tradition of supporting our armed forces and in employing ex-service personnel and Reserve staff.

"There are plenty of similarities between the police and the Armed forces - the challenges and pressures, where every day is different, requiring a professional can-do attitude and strong teamwork ethos.

"A number of our workforce come from an Armed Forces background and have thrived in our organisation providing the skills that are critical to our ongoing commitment to protect people from harm.

“We are extremely proud to have received this recognition of our work and continued commitment to support the Armed Forces community."

If you are a current or former member of the Armed Forces who enjoys facing challenges and solving problems, policing could be for you.

Pictured (from left to right) - HR Partner Jat Virk, Assistant Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith and Inspector Lucy Sewell.

Notes to editors

Warwickshire Police originally signed the Community Covenant in 2012. In 2014 this was superseded by the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) and so in 2018 the force re-signed.

In signing the AFC it is demonstrating its commitment to treating service personnel and their families with fairness and respect, and recognising their dedication and sacrifice in serving our country.

The force employs several veterans – anyone who has served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces at any time including National Servicemen, Regulars and Reserves – as police officers and staff. It also has a Reservist Policy in place to support its employees.

The force was one of only four forces nationwide to have received the accolade.