A RECORD number of police officers, including those from South Yorkshire, stood alongside military personnel to protect the public and dignitaries at the coronation of King Charles III on 6 May.<\/p>\n
Fifteen South Yorkshire Police officers from across response teams, neigbourhood teams and the Operational Support Unit were lucky enough to be selected to work at the Coronation. One of the officers who was picked to be a route liner was Sergeant Jonathan Simpson, whose late father Sergeant Ray Simpson was a route liner at the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s coronation in 1953.<\/p>\n
Jonathan said: “This was a duty that my father was rightly extremely proud to carry out. My father was somewhat of a hero to me and highly influential in my decision to join the police.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadly my father passed away in 2007 and is missed to this day. This feels like a full circle moment for me as I was lucky enough to follow in his footsteps on Saturday and serve my country. It’s a duty I am incredibly proud to have carried out, and I know it meant an awful lot to my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also working as route liners on the day were PC Karen Stebel and PC Andy House. Motorcycle officers Sergeant Sam Clifford, PC Craig Sharratt, PC John Porter and PC Iain Nelson ensured the safe movement of Bangladesh\u2019s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina.<\/p>\n
And Sergeant Simon Pickering, PC Ben Child, PC Jason Butcher, PC Simon Ellis, PC Sam Pearson, PC Emily Canning, PC David Stacey and PC Brett Small supported the policing and safety of visitors to the city.<\/p>\n
Operation Golden Orb was one of the most significant police operations ever, with more than 29,000 police officer deployments in the lead-up to the Coronation Day, continuing over the bank holiday weekend.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Steve Kent said: \u201cWe\u2019re very proud of our officers who represented our force on such a historic day, which I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n