Thirty NI police officers get award

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has paid tribute to 30 police officers posthumously awarded the Elizabeth Emblem.

The award, named after the late Queen, recognises public servants, such as police and firefighters, who died in the line of duty.

Twenty-eight Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers and two from the PSNI are among 100 people people being posthumously recognised across the UK on Friday.

It is the second such list since the award was announced last year and the first to include recipients from Northern Ireland.

“It is with deep humility and respect that we remember these 30 fallen officers – our colleagues and friends who gave their lives in service,” Mr Boutcher said.

“Their sacrifice and the enduring grief carried by their families must never be forgotten.

“The Elizabeth Emblem is a poignant and powerful symbol of national gratitude – a recognition not only of the officers’ ultimate sacrifice, but also of the pain their loved ones have been left behind to process and carry.

“Today, I stand with our police families who have lost a loved one – the Elizabeth Emblem serves as a lasting memory of their bravery.

“Many of our fallen colleagues included on the list lost their lives during the Troubles in Northern Ireland – a painful and turbulent chapter in our history.

“We will honour their memory, and I stand alongside their families in quiet reflection, pride and sorrow.”

The Elizabeth Emblem is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the armed forces who died in action or as a result of a terrorist attack.

The design of the emblem includes a rosemary wreath – a symbol of remembrance – around the Tudor Crown, which King Charles adopted when he took the throne.

It is inscribed with the words “For A Life Given In Service” and has the name of the person it commemorates on the reverse.