A POLICE officer who has been awarded a King’s Police Medal in the New Year’s Honours says they were overwhelmed when they heard the news.
Detective Inspector Tina Wallace joined Thames Valley Police in 1997, and is part of its Specialist Operations team.
She was awarded the medal for her outstanding service to the force and the community.
DI Wallace said: “I had to read the email several times before it began to sink in. I was just walking around in a bit of a daze, and I had to go out and walk my dogs to try to compose myself.
“To be recognised like this is just an immense honour.
“I am so grateful that somebody has gone out of their way to nominate me, and I feel so honoured to have my work recognised.”
Prior to joining the force, DI Wallace had a career in the Royal Air Force, where she served as a chef, based predominantly at RAF Brize Norton.
Realising this was not her calling, she made the switch to policing, joining as a probationer based at Witney police station.
She spent almost two years at Witney, before moving on to the Area Proactive Team at Banbury. In 2001, she switched to the Force Intelligence and Specialist Operations in 2001, working in a surveillance role until 2008.
DI Wallace then moved on to Counter Terrorism Policing South East until 2018, before re-joining Specialist Ops.
Now living in Buckinghamshire, she is currently studying for a Master’s degree in applied criminology at the University of Cambridge.
“The role that I do does go unnoticed, as it should do working in Specialist Operations, but I owe this to a lot of people,” she said.
“Although it’s me that has received this honour, I would without a doubt dedicate this to the sergeants I work with in Specialist Operations, without whom, I would not be able to carry out of my additional duties within the force.”
Throughout her career at Thames Valley Police, DI Wallace says she has nothing but pride and positive experiences working for the force.
“I can honestly say that I have had nothing but positive experiences working for TVP, especially as a female officer,” she said.
“I’ve always been given fantastic opportunities and the support I’ve had to develop my career is second-to-none.
“TVP has invested in me, and I feel I have shown loyalty to them throughout my career.
“I definitely feel that TVP has an entirely different perspective on valuing its staff and that is one of the main reasons I’ve worked here for so long. It’s just such a productive environment to work in.”
And the news has been welcomed by the force’s Chief Constable, John Campbell.
“I am delighted to see DI Wallace has been recognised for her outstanding service to policing in the King’s New Year Honours,” he said.
“This award highlights Tina’s commitment and hard work over many years to protect and keep our communities safe and she should be incredibly proud of this achievement.
“I know everyone within Thames Valley Police will join me in extending to Tina our sincere thanks and congratulations.”
