Award for 'outstanding' DC who brought down human traffickers
16 October 2018
A Detective Constable from Surrey Police has been commended for her outstanding work in uncovering a complex human trafficking case and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
DC Alexandra Protts, who is relatively young in service, received both a judge’s and chief constable’s commendation, as well as an award from the Police Federation National Detectives’ Forum for her incredible work - which she carried out while battling cancer.
Operation Wingman saw DC Protts secure Surrey Police’s first ever conviction for human trafficking, a complicated investigation that saw witnesses return to Hungary ahead of the trial.
Two men brought the three victims from Hungary to work locally while exploiting them for excessive accommodation, transport and administrative costs. It was a complex nine-month operation that saw DC Protts face a great deal of pressure all the while dealing with pain and insomnia.
Her supervisor, DC Phil Carter, said: “Alex was really, really struggling with unbearable pain that she didn’t understand and her GP couldn’t fathom. No one knew at work - she didn’t want to let anyone down. She was surviving on a couple of hours sleep a night then driving 30 miles to court and 30 miles home day after day.”
He said she was exhausted and burnt out after the prosecution, and it wasn’t until after the case had concluded that she was diagnosed. She is still receiving treatment.
DC Carter added: “Alex is a hero - my hero. She took a massive investigation and ran it perfectly; the judge commended her on the investigation, the case, her handling of the evidence and her tenacity, all echoed by the prosecution and defence Barristers. She was not a seasoned detective when she started but she is now, thrown in at the deep end and came up fighting.”
Nick Ephgrave, Chief Constable, said: “A huge amount of effort and energy and sweat, blood and tears went into getting those people to provide the evidence in court, getting them to turn up when they needed to. It was a seven-week trial and there were convictions all round - 13 years.
“It was a tremendous result. The diligence, professionalism, attention to detail, ability to manage disclosure issues, the translation issues. You name it, Alex had it all.”
Mel Warnes, Chair of Surrey Police Federation, said: “We are so proud of Alex for her incredible commitment, dedication and determination to get these results. She has all the qualities of an astounding detective and to achieve so much while so young in service and while battling illness is incredible.”
(pictured from left to right Paul Campbell, Secretary of Surrey Police Federation, Mel, Alex and Karen Stephens from PFEW)
