Cumbria Police Federation announce Response Officer of the Year

23 June 2026

An officer who is proactive in tackling criminal behaviour and goes out of his way to support colleagues has been named Response Officer of the Year at the Cumbria Police Federation Recognition Awards.

PC Steven Thompson is a response officer in Workington who also works as a PDU tutor, inspiring the next generation of officers.

He has been a police officer for eight years – working for Cumbria Police since 2022. PC Thompson is proactive on the ground, always looking at different ways in which he can tackle criminality.

PC Thompson said: “I enjoy the variety of the job, getting out there and speaking to people. You never know from one day to the next what jobs you're going to go to. I like being proactive, doing stop searches and vehicle stops, as well as going to the calls for service.

“I gravitate a lot towards roads policing, and I often use traffic legislation as a tool to target well-known nominals, to remove their use of the road network. If they can't get around, they can't deal drugs or anything else.”

PC Thompson is also known for his commitment to securing justice for domestic abuse victims, and has dealt with many complex cases that have resulted in prosecution.

He said: “I listen to the victims and ensure that I keep them on board so that we can achieve the best outcome, whether that's through court or, if they're applicable, pathways that give them structured support to deal with offending behaviour.”

He is also a PDU tutor; a colleague described him as “an excellent role model for new students”. PC Thompson said: “I like being able to guide students through those initial 10 weeks and bring out the best in each one. Each individual student has their own strengths and weaknesses, so it's getting them to recognise their strengths, build up on their weaknesses, and continuing that support once they get out of the 10 weeks.”

When he heard he was winning an award, he said: “I was surprised, to be honest. I just kind of carry on doing what I'm doing, so it's nice to be recognised.”

Cumbria Police Federation Chair Ed Russell said: “Steven is a fantastically proactive police officer who enjoys catching criminals and keeping people safe.

“He always takes the time to help his colleagues, and has a real passion for police work and doing the right thing, getting great results for victims. On top of that, he provides outstanding support to his students – he is a worthy winner of this award.”

The Cumbria Police Federation Recognition Awards are taking place on 25 June 2026, in association with Slater & Gordon.

Also sponsoring the awards are Cumbria Police Group Insurance Scheme, Philip Williams, Uniform Mortgages, Police Friendly, Accord, National Police Healthcare Scheme, No1 CopperPot Credit Union, Taylor Law, and Serve and Protect.