Top honour for long-serving Essex officer and police staff member

 

Former officer and emergency planner Eddie Clarke was recognised with a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

And he has now been presented with his medal by Essex Lord-Lieutenant Jennifer Tolhurst at an Investiture at County Hall in Chelmsford. Eddie was one of two Essex police staff members honoured with the BEM last summer.

“I did think it was a wind-up when I first got the email telling me I was to receive the BEM as it was so totally unexpected. When the news sank in I was still extremely surprised but then I felt very honoured.
“I have just tried to do my best in everything I have done. I worked in various teams and departments for Essex Police. I enjoyed them all and I was very lucky to have worked with and for some great people.”
Eddie Clarke BEM

Eddie retired from Essex Police in August 2020, just days after his 75th birthday, after 55 years of outstanding service to the force and the people of Essex.

He started his career in 1964 as an officer with Southend on Sea Borough Constabulary – long before it merged with Essex County Constabulary to become Essex Police – and ended it as a member of police staff in our Emergency Planning team. His commitment to Essex Police and the communities we serve remained undiminished the entire time.

Over the years, Eddie served in a number of roles. He was instrumental in launching the careers of many of our roads policing officers and was the head of traffic law training for many years. After retiring as a police officer in 1996, he became one of our emergency planning officers, a job that he excelled at for more than 22 years.

His continual hard work formed crucial links with industry which helped to develop multi-agency work across the county. He also bridged the generation gap, tutoring and training new staff, no matter what their experience or backgrounds.

Throughout his service, Eddie was always there to provide advice and share his immense experience – which has proved invaluable to colleagues of all ranks when faced with extreme circumstances, for example during the Jaywick floods in December 2013 when he supported the specialist operations control room.

Eddie was very widely respected by all of his colleagues, both in the teams and commands he served and across the wider force. The passage of time never weakened his level of enthusiasm to help a colleague or his willingness to develop a better service for the public.

 

Has Eddie inspired you?

People from all walks of life are applying to join Essex Police and everyone is welcome if you share our values and want to help people and protect and serve our communities.

We value difference, so if Eddie has inspired you and you think you fit the bill and want to join our policing family, visit www.essex.police.uk/careers to see what careers we have to offer.