PUTTING others first and throwing himself into the thick of the action has given a police officer the title of Hampshire’s best new recruit.
At the Hampshire police and crime commissioner awards at the end of last month, PC Ollie Lindridge from Basingstoke was named as PC recruit of the year.
PC Lindridge was praised for his positive attitude despite long hours and challenging incidents.
Chief constable Olivia Pinkney, who presented the award, said: "Ollie has a positive attitude and is already an integral part of the team.
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"It has been noted that since independence, Ollie is always keen to offer to help others, even with jobs he did not attend, sometimes staying later just to help those officers out when he knows that they will be several hours late off.
"Basingstoke B shift is the second least experienced response and patrol team in the county, and although Ollie is just over a year in, he is treated and relied upon like an officer much longer in service."
One incident that was highlighted by the chief constable was a road traffic collision (RTC) where an elderly man suffered a medical episode and crashed.
PC Lindridge immediately assessed the man and started giving CPR, freeing up his more experienced colleague to handle other aspects of the incident.
Although the man did not survive the crash, PC Lindridge gave him the best possible chances for survival, the chief constable added.
PC Lindridge said: "First of all, receiving the award let alone being nominated came as a shock to me, but I am hugely grateful that my colleagues have such belief in me by putting me forward for it.
"My first year in policing has been challenging, as I imagine it is for all, juggling a new career while studying a degree alongside it. However I have loved every part of it, and I’ve had the opportunity to engage with people from so many walks of life and do my best to help them.
"I don’t think I would be where I am in my career if it wasn’t from the support and help of my team, Basingstoke B shift, especially my coach who mentored me when I first started, PC Jenni Lawrence, and the continued support of my sergeant, TPS Kieran Burke."
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