Chief Constable rewards long service and good conduct

Sgt Nick Whitebrook joined as an Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO) in August 2001 and was posted to Harwell, before passing his sergeant exams and interview in 2004. In 2007 Nick qualified as a national firearms instructor and provided firearms training around the south using local facilities.

In 2009 Nick returned to Harwell OPU as a section sergeant and has worked at the unit ever since. During his time as an AFO for the CNC, he was deployed to West Midlands Police as part of Operation Temperer after the Manchester Arena Bombing.

PC Chris Kent joined the CNC in February 2001 and qualified as a general purpose dog handler in 2004. He later also became a dog handler for an explosive detecting police dog and as well as patrolling Harwell, provided assistance to our Strategic Escort Group when they were carrying out escorts of nuclear material.

Chris has also since qualified as a Counter Terrorism Search Officer (CTSO) and worked at the London Olympic in 2012, keeping the Olympic village and O2 Stadium safe. In 2015, after 11 and a half years as a dog handler, he returned to Harwell as an AFO, where he has worked since.

Chief Constable Simon Chesterman said: “I was delighted to be able to present Nick and Chris with their long service and good conduct medals at this week. They have both spent more than two decades protecting the Harwell site and the surrounding community and they should be proud of the personal contributions they have made to the safety and security of the UK.”