Page 6 - Bedfed Sept2016 Flipbook

6
You lost a hero, I lost my Dad
a poem written by Maggie, the daughter of Jon Henry, was read out by Bedfordshire Police Federation secretary Emma Carter at this year’s Care of Police Survivors (CoPS) service at the National Memorial arboretum in Staffordshire.
Emma acted as family liaison officer for Jon’s wife, Mary, after the young PC was killed when responding to reports of a stabbing in Luton town centre in June 2007. Maggie was just 11-months-old when her Dad died.
“Maggie has now just turned 10,” says Emma, “I have remained in touch with Mary and Maggie ever since Jon died and they asked me to read this at the COPS service to commemorate them laying a plaque by our Bedfordshire tree on ‘The Beat’, an avenue of trees dedicated to each police force at the arboretum. Mary had waited until now for the plaque to be completed so that Maggie was old enough to take part.”
The poem, entitled simply ‘Dad’, details how Maggie keeps Jon’s memory alive and
concludes with the line: ‘you see you all lost a hero, But I lost my special Dad’.
Each year police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice - and their surviving family members - are remembered at COPS annual service of remembrance.
This year more than 750 family, friends and colleagues gathered on Sunday 31 July to pay respects to officers who have died on duty. Emma attended the moving service, which is free to attend and open to all, with Bedfordshire DCC Mark Collins.
During a 40-minute service survivors, as well as Maggie’s poem, a daughter, two sons and a wife remembered their lost loved ones and talked about how the COPS charity benefits them.
Craig Mackey, Deputy Commissioner of the Met, said: “I think anyone who heard any of the speeches today, from the man who lost his father 40 years ago [David Taylor] to Emma Duncan who lost her father just a few years ago, it just brings home to you what an impact these things
PC Jon Henry.
have, and it just brings it home the sacrifice people make to do the job that we so cherish.”
Police Service of Northern Ireland Constables Clodagh Dunlop and John Dunlop presided over the wreath laying ceremony. Their uncle - Reserve Constable Clifford Evans - was killed on duty.
Clodagh is recovering from locked-in
Maggie receives the wristband worn by one of the Unity Tour cyclists in tribute to her Dad, Jon Henry.
Emma Carter, Bedfordshire Police Federation secretary speaking at the service.