Watford stationed detective sergeant, Ian Siggery, was “really surprised” when he was awarded the Investigator of the Year award at the Chief Constable’s Annual Awards.
Ian, who was also born and raised in Watford, received the prestigious award at the ceremony in Hatfield House on Tuesday, October 16.
He said: “I was really surprised. I’m in the twilight stage of my career now, only 15 months from retirement, and to have my work recognised at this point is truly special.”
The award was given to Ian for his outstanding work throughout the year, which included running Operation Folio, which aimed to tackle conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. He also worked an operation to stop controlled drug suppliers on county lines.
The Hemel resident has worked in Watford for five years after transferring from Hemel, where he started his career as a uniform cop in the early 1990’s.
He said: “I’m passionate about Watford. It is a challenging area, we have a real night time economy here which can be a struggle, it’s a very diverse community, and you’ve got a real mix in terms of affluent areas and more lower class ones.
“I was born and bred here, I did my schooling here, I have friends here and family in the area. It’s a wonderful town, with its challenges.”
Ian also acknowledged that he would not have won the award without the help of others.
He said: “My good work and the recognition I’ve received is down to my team. I’m only as good as the people I’m working with. That includes my family, who are so supportive.
“I’ve had to put my job first at points and make tough decisions, there’s time I’ve missed with them that I won’t get back. But rightly or wrongly, that’s part of the job.”
The detective believes that a policeman’s job has changed significantly since he joined the force over 28 years ago.
He said: “Austerity has hit us. We have a lot less staff than I used to have in the early days.
“But in many ways, it’s changed for the better. Often, the public see us as only being there to get the baddies, but we have become first responders in society in general; in issues of mental health, housing and education. We’re non-stop and we prioritise safeguarding, which is probably where we historically lacked.”
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