CCTV Operator Megan Ward received a commendation from Devon and Cornwall’s Police and Crime Commissioner after her great work led to the jailing of a sexual offender in Exeter.
Exeter’s city centre CCTV Control Room operators have been presented with a special award recognising their outstanding service to community safety.
CCTV Operator Megan Ward received a commendation from Devon and Cornwall’s Police and Crime Commissioner after her great work led to the jailing of a sexual offender in Exeter.
Alison Hernandez visited the City Council’s CCTV Control Room to personally congratulate Megan and her colleagues and present the Commissioner’s Award and certificate.
In November, Megan was praised by detectives for her ‘diligent work’ in tracking down a man following a sexual assault in the city centre.
The attack was captured on CCTV and operators from the Control Room managed to track the perpetrator as he fled across the city centre. However, he soon went out of frame and vanished.
More than a month later Megan was able to identify a male matching the description of the offender in the city centre and raised the alarm.
He was arrested by police and was recently jailed for the offence.
Presenting the award, the Police and Crime Commissioner said: “I am really proud that we have such a good working relationship between the police and the CCTV Control Room which is run by Exeter City Council.
“Some of the things that you have done recently have been incredible and I want to thank you for the fantastic job you do in keeping the public safe, and for the diligence that you have shown.”
Cllr Laura Wright, Exeter City Council’s Deputy Leader and Member Champion for the Safety of Women and Girls at Night, said: “It’s cases like this that demonstrate the true value of our city centre CCTV Control Room and the staff who operate it.
“We have an excellent team that works closely with the police, and through their hard work and determination are able to bring offenders to justice and prevent further offences from taking place.”