Thousands turn out at Manchester Cathedral for funeral
Fiona Bone joined Greater Manchester Police in November 2005 as a volunteer
Special Constable on North Manchester Division. She became a full time officer
in January 2007 and was posted to the Tameside Division.
It is clear that
helping people and building community spirit was at the heart of everything she
did. Not only was she a Special Constable, she worked with St John Ambulance,
had set up a women’s five-a-side team and was an active member with the Waterway
Restoration Group.
After graduating from the University of Central
Lancashire, Fiona set about her ambition of becoming a police officer, working
in a number of customer service roles to gain experience of serving the
public.
In the force she quickly gained recognition as an officer who set
the highest standards for herself and for others. Like all new officers she saw
life at its most raw, was alongside people at the worst moment of their lives
and like all young officers no doubt protected her parents from the full story
of what she saw and what she dealt with. She quickly understood that virtue is
often not its own reward that there are many frustrations in policing but much
satisfaction. While others often seem obsessed with policing in films, crime
novels and fly on the wall documentaries Fiona did it for real. Like most police
officers Fiona absolutely loved her job and felt privileged to serve the public
in this way.
Fiona quickly accepted that she was now part of a
disciplined service where staff just get on with whatever is asked of them
across the full range of incidents and crimes often going into situations where
the risk is unknown but where you put service to the public ahead of yourself.
It was in going about her duty in this quiet conscientious way that she met her
death.
Fiona’s work received much praise. In October 2009, Fiona was awarded a
Chief Superintendent's Commendation for her outstanding contribution to an
investigation relating to burglaries and robberies. She was commended for her
dedication and determination in securing the convictions of those involved, "throughout
the complex investigation.”
Fiona treated everyone with dignity,
compassion and respect whatever their background. In 2010, she received a letter
of thanks from a person she had arrested and prosecuted. In the letter, the
individual thanks Fiona for her assistance in getting him help to change his
ways and for being "a decent police officer”.
In his sermon to the National
Police Memorial Service on Sunday the Archbishop of York said that in getting so
close to the community instead of staying aloof, police officers make themselves
more vulnerable.
Sir Robert Peel the father of modern policing saw it
thus....... "To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives
reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the
public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid
to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every
citizen"
This philosophy was in the DNA of Fiona's approach to policing.
She understood that openness, accountability and integrity are central to police
effectiveness and the confidence of the public. Whatever may have been national
stories of police failings from times before she joined she knew the best way
forward was the daily commitment to duty getting on with serving and protecting
the public. It is this quiet devotion to duty from Fiona and Nicola which have
inspired so many thousands to send in messages of sympathy to their families.
Fiona and Nicola knew that policing makes no distinction between what it asks of
male and female officers indeed this is what attracted them
Fiona may
have been small in stature but was unquestionably huge in personality, drive and
her desire to make a difference. Her personal attributes included an innate
ability to deal with people from all kinds of backgrounds and to deal with them
in such a way that the interaction was always positive and
impressionable.
Her contribution related not just to her work but
to her personality, to her character and presence within the team and within the
force. She had great promise for the future.
Fiona wanted to become a
police officer to help others. No one can deny that she achieved that aim with
honours. She did it in such a way that the memory of her humanity and dedication
will last forever within the hearts of those who had the pleasure of knowing her
and working with her. We will never forget her great sacrifice.
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