Above the call of duty

The Dorset Justice Awards 2008 ceremony which took place in Dorchester recognised some of the outstanding work that has taken place over the past year.

Chairman of the Dorset Criminal Justice Board and Chief Officer of Dorset Probation Service John Wiseman said: "The awards give us the opportunity to publicly say thank you to the staff and volunteers who work so hard across Dorset's criminal justice system.

"The outstanding teams and individuals that have been recognised have shown exceptional commitment and dedication to help make Dorset safer.

"Every day across Dorset they work hard to catch offenders, bring them to justice and work to rehabilitate them."

• EFFORTS by Weymouth CID officers to see justice done in a case where a man was killed won praise at the Dorset Justice Awards.

Initially called to reports of a suicide at a caravan site near Dorchester, detectives were later told that former Polish police officer Dariuz Swiader had been stabbed to death and that his partner, Ewa Palkowska, had admitted to other residents she had killed him.

Palkowska later claimed that five men had forced her to stab her partner, drugged her and then made their escape.

Confronted with two conflicting stories, the team embarked on a lengthy and difficult investigation that lasted over a year and saw them travel to Poland to track down the victim's family and key witnesses.

Keeping in contact with witnesses was a challenge, as Polish workers often travel to get the best wage and find it hard to take time off work to speak to the police.

On 22 February 2008 Palkowska was sentenced to six-and-a-half years imprisonment after being found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of manslaughter.

The links that were forged through this case have since been built on, as Det Insp Kevin Lansdale went back to Poland for a month earlier this year to see how Polish police deal with problems such as domestic violence.

• IF YOU are the victim of a crime in Dorset and want to talk to someone you may well get a call from Fran Rook.

Fran has been recognised for the outstanding support she provides to victims and for going the extra mile' due to the sheer amount of work she does and never refusing to take on a case.

During the past year alone she has made contact with over 250 victims of crime. These could be people who have had belongings stolen, or victims of more serious offences such as domestic violence and rape.

Sometimes she has been asked to provide emergency support to women who have recently entered or left a refuge.

Although Fran lives in Weymouth she can be put in touch with people all over the county although all her work is done over the phone.

"The contact could involve just one call, or it could go on for six months depending on the crime and how badly affected the victim is," said Fran, who recently retired as a fertility nurse. She added: "Sometimes people feel they have no-one to talk to and that's where I come in.

"It's a privilege when people put their trust in you and tell you how they're feeling although it can take a while to build up a rapport.

"Some people might feel you can get over a crime after a certain time but it's different for everyone."

• YVONNE Sullivan helps to turn round the lives of young offenders through her work with parents.

Her innovative approach to supporting families has helped the Dorset Youth Offending Team (YOT) excel in this area of work.

Bosses say Yvonne's great contribution has been to establish a system of providing support in a way that parents don't feel patronised or punished for the crime of their children.

Yvonne's most innovative work has involved a workshop that brings parents and children together which is now used as a model for other YOTs. She has also set up a parent mentoring scheme which offers support after the YOT's formal intervention finishes.

Yvonne was unable to attend the Dorset Justice Awards.

• A TEAM at Dorset Probation Service is helping to steer offenders away from a life of crime.

Offenders who are ordered by the courts to carry out unpaid work as part of their community service are offered the opportunity to undertake a City & Guilds Key Skills qualification.

It provides skills which are of value to employers such as motivation, commitment and teamwork.

Those that successfully complete the qualification will finish their unpaid work requirement with a certificate that will enhance their employability and contribute to breaking the cycle of re-offending.

The initiative has exceeded expectations and has gained recognition at a national level.

Last year 125 people successfully achieved a qualification through the initiative.

In many cases, this was the first award they had achieved and was the stepping stone to further training or employment. One man who has become self-employed as a tree surgeon said the qualification was 'instrumental' in addressing his offending behaviour.

• AFTER serving as a magistrate for more than 20 years, Len Coleman decided he wanted to continue to serve in the criminal justice system.

He moved into a different type of voluntary work with Dorset Youth Offending Team, now based in Dorchester.

When the Youth Justice Referral Scheme was launched seven years ago to monitor the progress of young offenders, Len was the first community member to sit on the panel. He continues to offer his time at the age of 76, often travelling miles to attend meetings.

He said: "Young people thank us for giving up our time and we explain that it's because we have faith in them - young people are the future and we have to ensure they're on the right path."

Len also volunteers for the Witness Service.

Attending court can be intimidating and it is people like Len who try to make it as comfortable as possible for witnesses.

His commitment is well known to the extent that on one occasion he spent eight hours caring for a particularly vulnerable elderly