Chief constable leads tributes to police special who served for 30 years

Tributes have been paid to a Norfolk police special constable who have served for nearly 30 years and was recently commended for preventing an assault on his colleagues.

Graham Eaves, 65, who had been based in the Broadland district for the past 10 years, died on Sunday, May 3.

During his almost three decades of service he received numerous recognitions for his tireless work, including a Norfolk Special Constabulary Chief Officer’s Certificate for his swift action preventing an assault in custody last year.

Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey said: “As a special constable he embodied all the traits we look for in our dedicated volunteers; determination, positivity and a drive to help others.

“He was part of our police family for nearly three decades, we are incredibly grateful for all his time and commitment and he will be very much missed by all his colleagues and friends.”

MORE: Tributes paid to cafe owner who was ‘at his happiest helping people’Mr Eaves joined as a special constable in June 1991 and served at Bethel Street police station in Norwich both as a Special Constable and Special Sgt in response policing as well as a range of proactive shifts on the retail theft unit, public order and community-focused roles.

Passionate about his role to help communities, he tackled anti-social behaviour, building rapport with repeat offenders and worked alongside health workers to help vulnerable and hard-to-reach members of the community such as sex workers.

In 2010, he transferred to Sprowston police station, opting to revert rank to a special constable and where he helped coach and mentor student officers as well as supporting the Police Cadet unit.

MORE: Town pays respect to ‘famous wheeler-dealer’ who died age 58Special Chief Officer Darren Taylor said: “Our thoughts are with Graham’s wife, children, friends and colleagues at this difficult time. The news came as a shock to all of us, Graham was a friend and dedicated officer - his enthusiasm, positive attitude and humour will be remembered by everyone that met him.

“He was a caring individual who thought of others first and would take the time to support their development and growth, he was a great mentor and the person you would want by your side when attending an incident. He will be greatly missed.”

Lorne Green, Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk, said: “The tributes from his policing family are testament to Graham’s nature, character and dedication to serving the Norfolk public as a member of the Special Constabulary, reflecting the impact he had, not only on his policing colleagues but also on the communities he served.”