Police officer wins inspirational leadership award

A DETECTIVE Sergeant from Warrington who goes above and beyond what is expected of him at Cheshire Police has been rewarded with an Inspirational Leadership award.
DS Mark Naylor, of Warrington CID, joined the police in 2002 and has an unshakeable desire to help victims of crime and the wider communities that the force serves.
The 40-year-old operational supervisor for serious and complex crime at the Warrington Local Policing Unit drives the performance of his staff to deliver exceptional service to the public across all Cheshire Police’s “We’re Here” commitments.
His energy and enthusiasm for the job is infectious. On top of his day-to-day duties, he has organised several sign language courses for officers in Warrington to help them communicate with members of the public who have hearing problems, offers peer support to colleagues affected by traumatic incidents and delivers a training programme to help officers understand the psychological effects of sexual abuse to aid them when engaging with and supporting victims.
Despite his extensive efforts to help victims and colleagues, DS Naylor was Surprised to win the Inspirational Leadership gong at Cheshire Police’s annual ACE Awards..
He said: “It was an honour to be nominated for the award, never mind to have won it.
“It came as a big surprise to have won the award for doing a job that I love.
“I love being a bobby and helping the public on the front line, but I also really love leading teams and forging people into a group that works effectively.
“I really enjoy leading teams and bringing out the best in people and trying to get the job done in the best way that we can.”
His fellow Detective Sergeant Alison Howarth says DS Naylor is a credit to the force and a worthy ACE Award winner.
“I am privileged to have Mark as a colleague,” she said. “He is an inspirational leader within the force and the unique and widely acclaimed training he delivers on sexual abuse has helped the constabulary evolve as an organisation with a greater understanding of victims to deliver an enhanced level of care.
“With Mark’s training providing guidance, we put the victims at the very heart of investigations to bring about positive experiences for them and encourage disclosures, which in turn serves to expose abusers and prevent there being further victims.”
The ACE Awards are Cheshire Police’s highest accolades that can be awarded to an individual or team that has gone the extra mile or demonstrated exceptional commitment to the ‘We’re Here’ pillars of policing in the county.