Retired police officer from Corby and serving dog handler named in Queen’s Birthday Honours list

A retired police officer from Coby and a serving dog handler have been named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Retired officer, Shaun Johnson, from Corby, has been awarded a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to policing after spending nearly half a century on the job.

PC Ian McDonald, a dog handler for Northamptonshire Police, has been awarded a Queen’s Police Medal (QPM).

Here’s more about both award recipients.

Shaun Johnson

Shaun served just shy of half a century with Northamptonshire Police – 30 years as an officer and 17 years as a member of staff before he retired last year.

As a qualified engineer, Shaun decided to follow in the footsteps of his Great Uncle Ted and in 1974, the 19-year-old from Corby joined Northamptonshire Police as a police constable.

He initially served his two-year probation at Wellingborough Police Station, before moving to the rural sector where he became embedded into the local community, living on his beat.

In the early 1980s he was drafted in to support colleagues in the policing of the notorious inner-city riots and miners’ disputes across the country, before returning to Wellingborough in 1986, to take up a role in CID.

During his time as a detective – a role he really wanted to do – Shaun worked on various major investigations, for which he received numerous Chief Constable Commendations.

Towards the end of his 30-years’ service as a police officer, Shaun qualified as a CHIS (covert human intelligence source) handler and took over the role of Police Intelligence Officer at HMP Wellingborough.

Shaun said: “It’s a great honour to receive this award, not only for me but also for my family. My wife has been an integral part of my success, supporting me through the good, and of course the bad times

“I also feel very humbled that, with so much fantastic work going on in the county, that I have been awarded such an accolade, and thoroughly enjoyed my time with Northamptonshire Police.

“I’ve had the privileged of working with some wonderful, dedicated people within the Force, Fire Service and the wider community. And you simply don’t get awards like this without the support of other colleagues and partners.”

Shaun’s work within the prison service earned him various commendations and letters of appreciation, and he was also instrumental in creating the High Offender Partnership Enterprise Project.

In 2004, Shaun received a Chief Constable Commendation for exemplary conduct during his 30 years’ service as a police officer and was nominated by the Force for a Lifetime Achievement in Policing Award.

After briefly considering retirement, Shaun continued his service with the force as a member of police staff where he served in various roles before joining the Arson Task Force in 2008.

He continued to receive recognition for his tireless work serving the communities across the county and was awarded various commendations from both police and fire chief officers.

His work with secondary schools in Wellingborough in 2009 helped reduce wheelie bin fires in the town by 50 percent within 12 months.

Shaun’s passion for education and community safety was instrumental during his time with the Arson Task Force, which saw him raise more than £100,000 for local community projects across the county over the past decade.

He became involved with the charity Crimestoppers in 2009 and continued to be a member of the Northamptonshire committee following his retirement from the force last summer.

Chief Constable Nick Adderley added: “Shaun has dedicated his life to helping the people of Northamptonshire, with a career spanning nearly five decades both as a police officer and latterly as a member of staff.

“His career as an officer was varied and makes for a fascinating read, but what stands out the most is Shaun’s desire and commitment for positive change. And at the heart of all his dedication and hard work, and everything he has achieved, has been his passion to improve the lives of the people of Northamptonshire.

“Shaun retired from Northamptonshire Police after 47 years’ service last summer and I’m thrilled he has been awarded an MBE in recognition of the work he did helping to protect people from harm and keep them safe, it is very much deserved.”

PC Ian McDonald

Ian joined Northamptonshire Police in 2000, moving into a proactive team in 2001 and then into CID as a qualified detective.

In 2006 he joined the Dog Section and he currently works with specialist search dog Alfie and general purpose dog Mac.

Ian said: “I was surprised to receive the call to say I’ve been awarded the QPM but am honoured to be recognised.

“It’s a pleasure to work with such a great team of officers, I’m so proud of what we do.

“I must take this opportunity to give a special thank you to my wife and children, who have strongly supported me throughout my career and have been there for me through thick and thin.”

Chief Constable Nick Adderley, added: “Ian is a highly respected and well-liked officer within Northamptonshire Police and has never compromised or accepted anything but the highest standards in himself or his dogs.

“Throughout his career he has been commended for his unfaltering bravery, resilience, and determination to seek justice, save lives and protect people from harm.

“He has saved the life of a woman who received life threatening injuries and was able to help in the emergency efforts to evacuate those at risk in a nightclub crush where two people sadly lost their lives. His actions reflect the finest traditions of the emergency services, to save life and limb.”