24 February 2026

Dedicated officer named Frontline Officer of the Year at Dorset Police Federation Recognition Award

A dedicated officer who uses her community relationships and excellent police skills to catch a high number of offenders has been named Frontline Officer of the Year at the 2026 Dorset Police Federation Recognition Awards.

PC Holly Palmer, who works on the Bournemouth Central neighbourhood policing team, has been praised for her relentless pursuit of criminals, high arrest rate, and for securing convictions for repeat offenders.

One of her colleagues said: “PC Palmer’s dedication and passion for the job is second to none. She has comprehensive knowledge of all offenders in Bournemouth, their associates, and even their hiding places. No suspect is safe from PC Palmer – they can run, but they cannot hide from her! She is highly regarded by all her peers, as well as senior leaders.”

PC Palmer returned from maternity leave in 2024, and soon after was instrumental in taking down a Bournemouth-based county lines gang. She worked closely with intelligence officers to build a picture of what was happening, then organised a plain clothes op to disrupt their activity.

This was successful, and officers were able to arrest members of the gang in the town centre, finding them in possession of a large amount of drugs. The offenders went to court and were given custodial sentences.

PC Palmer said: “I like the versatility of the different incidents that we go to, engaging with members of the public, and helping victims. I always wanted to do this job from a young age. I've got a really nice team for neighbourhood policing and, since I came back to work from my last maternity leave, I've really enjoyed getting involved with the local community and making sure everyone's safe.”

Another colleague said of PC Palmer: “She has brought boundless enthusiasm and drive to our team, which has taken it to the next level of performance and public service. She has a grip of local issues, ranging from high-volume incidents to OCG-linked drug gangs and people trafficking. PC Palmer also carries out exceptional local policing through her engagement with local businesses, finding out their needs and targeting the main shoplifters.”

PC Palmer has also recently been working with the Chinese community around local brothels, arresting suspects for exploiting women and safeguarding those affected.

Her colleague added: “PC Palmer is a monthly high performer within the team, often by some margin. Her work ethic, diligence and professionalism are without question. We are fortunate to have her on our team. To sum it up, if Holly Palmer were a book, I would want a library full of them.”

When PC Palmer heard she’d won a Federation award, she said: “I was shocked, but it felt really lovely because I’ve done nearly 10 years in the police. It's nice to know that you're being recognised.”

Dorset Police Federation Chair Chris Wood said: “Holly shows absolute dedication and unwavering commitment to supporting communities and catching criminals. She often works long hours and sacrifices personal time to get case file work in on time for remands, but she does so with real professionalism and a passion for seeing justice being done.”

PC Palmer will attend the 2026 Dorset Police Federation Recognition Awards on 26 February.

Dorset Police Federation Recognition Awards are in association with Bluline Health.

Also sponsoring the awards are Accord, Axon, Niche, Uniform Mortgages, Police Mortgages, Warren & Co, Police Friendly, Serve and Protect Credit Union, Philip Williams and No1 Copperpot Credit Union.