An officer based in Barrow has been chosen as Cumbria’s Response Police Officer of the Year 2024.

PC Bryony Kenny was nominated by her Inspector to represent Cumbria as a nominee for the national Response Police Officer of the Year, with the winner being announced on Wednesday (June 26).

The national award recognises the role of response officers as part of Response Policing Week.

Bryony’s nomination highlighted that in her year and a half in response policing she has been an exceptional officer, with her proactive approach, her support for victims and bringing offenders to justice.

Inspector Steph Hadwin, who nominated Bryony said “Since starting on the team Bryony has hit the ground running.

“Over the last 12 months she consistently been one of the highest preforming officers and her proactive approach in the role has led to 72 stop searches.

“Bryony is keen to develop her skills securing her PSU qualification and is keen to become tutor to others and has already supported her peers with advice on stop searches.

“I couldn’t be more proud of her and the officer she has become. She has an incredibly bright policing future ahead of her.”

Bryony joined the police in 2021 and is an extremely resilient officer, in one incident she tackled a man brandishing a fence post on her own before deploying pava, securing the male whilst other officers arrived.

On her third day as a tutor constable Bryony carried out a foot chase and arrested a male found carrying drugs, cash and an imitation firearm.

NPCC Response Lead Chief Constable Rob Carden of Cumbria Constabulary said “Bryony is an exceptional response officer who is respected by her supervisors and peers. Bryony has balanced the need to be professional and caring with victims against the need to be proactive and determined with criminals. Although relatively young in service, Bryony is one of the highest performing officers in the force and she is an excellent role model for any aspiring police officer.

“This recognition is thoroughly deserved; Bryony is a great advert for Cumbria Constabulary and wider policing.”

Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “An exceptional Police Officer needs to be passionate about their job and it’s clear from all that she has achieved that Bryony is incredibly passionate about what she does.

“I know, having carried out the role in the past, that being a response officer can be an incredibly daunting role at times,. It carries with it a lot of expectation and responsibility but there is also a lot of reward to be gained as well. Response Officers, such as Bryony, place themselves at risk every day to keep the public safe and I am pleased to see Bryony being recognised for all her hard work making Cumbria a safer, more protected place.

“A big well done to Bryony. I met her at Appleby this year when I was with Chief Constable Rob Carden, and she is a real credit to the Constabulary. I genuinely wish her the best of luck at the national Response Police Officer of the Year – should she win it, it would be truly very well deserved.”

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