A Dacorum police officer has been recognised for his going above and beyond and his courage and determination with the Frank Mason Memorial Award.
On April 14, Police Constable Mike Mathews, 29, was presented with the special accolade, which honours the late PC Francis Mason, who was tragically killed whilst off-duty in Hemel Hempstead in 1998.
PC Francis Mason, known as Frank was walking his dog on April 14, 1988 when he witnessed a security van being held up by armed robbers in Bank Court. He displayed enormous courage and tackled the gunmen, but he was shot and sadly died at aged 27.
Each year, Dacorum Police present the award to an officer who has displayed PC Mason’s qualities of dedication, professionalism and selflessness in protecting the community. The award is voted for by supervisors and selected by senior officers in the borough.
PC Matthews was described by colleagues as an ‘exceptional’ team member who deals with incidents with ‘resilience, courage and determination.’
The nomination said: “It is testimony to his courage and professionalism and without his quick thinking and application these people would have succumbed to their injuries or condition.”
PC Mathews said: “It is such a huge honour to have been chosen. I love my job and every day I come to work wanting to make a real difference to people’s lives. I must thank all my colleagues, with a special thanks to Team 5, for their hard work and support over the years, along with my supervisors who have helped to continuously develop me as an officer, supported me over the last five years and nominated me for such a prestigious award.”
After PC Matthews was presented with the award, Police, the family of PC Mason, Mike Penning MP and the Dacorum Mayor visited Bank Court, laid flowers and paid their respects to the brave PC Francis Mason.
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