Police Scotland officers recognised in new year honours list

Chief Constable Jo Farrell KPM

Chief Constable Jo Farrell, two serving, and one former Police Scotland officer have been recognised in the King’s New Year Honours for their significant contribution to policing.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell, Chief Superintendent Stevie Dolan and retired Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn have all received the King’s Police Medal (KPM).

Police Constable Yocksan Bell has been awarded an MBE for services to Young People and Missing Persons. Former SPA Chief Executive Lynn Brown who retired earlier this year, has been awarded an CBE for services to Policing and Public Services.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell said:

"I am personally, and on behalf of policing in Scotland, honoured and grateful to receive the King's Police Medal.

"I also offer warm congratulation to Stevie, Andy, Yocksan and Lynn.

"These honours are recognition of the skill and hard work of officers and staff who deliver for communities and keep Scotland safe."

Chief Constable Farrell joined the police as a constable in Cambridge in 1991. In 2002, she joined Northumbria Police, initially as a Chief Inspector, and was promoted to Assistant Chief Constable, with responsibility for response and neighbourhood policing as well as the communications department.

Chief Constable Farrell joined Durham Constabulary in November 2016 as Deputy Chief Constable before being appointed Chief Constable in June 2019. Chief Constable Farrell chairs the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Digital Data and Technology Co-ordination Committee.

In October 2023, Chief Constable Farrell entered office at Police Scotland.

Chief Superintendent Dolan has 33 years’ police service and is Divisional Commander for Specialist Services in Police Scotland, which incorporates Armed Policing and several other specialist functions.

Prior to taking on this role, he was Divisional Commander for Lanarkshire Division. He also previously led the Police Scotland ‘Policing in a Digital World Programme,’ a flagship initiative to deliver the national Cyber Strategy and policing approaches to tackle the changing nature of crime.

Stevie’s early career in Edinburgh from 1992 saw him perform a range of uniformed and plain-clothed roles, including in specialist Armed and Public Order policing roles. He has varied operational experience at each rank and has performed the roles of Local Area Commander, Operations Superintendent and Specialist Operations Superintendent across several Police Scotland Divisions, including Edinburgh, West Lothian, and Glasgow. He has also successfully led delivery of a national transformation programme to equip officers with mobile technology, achieving significant business benefits and organisational change.

He is an experienced Strategic Firearms, Public Order/Public Safety and Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Commander (CBRN) and served for around 14 years as a Hostage and Crisis Negotiator.

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn recently retired after more than 32 years of distinguished policing service.

He began his senior leadership career with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, where he served as District Commander for Belfast.

In 2022, Andy was appointed Assistant Chief Constable with Police Scotland, holding the national portfolio for organised crime, counter-terrorism, intelligence, and cyber investigations. In this role, he also chaired the Operational Board at the Scottish Crime Campus in Gartcosh, coordinating the strategic partnership response to serious and organised crime.

Edinburgh based Police Constable Yocksan Bell has been awarded an MBE for services to Young People and Missing Persons.

Yocksan said: “This recognition by His Majesty the King is a great honour which I am extremely humbled and proud to receive.

“I am very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to focus on the issue of missing people over the last 12 years of my service. Working in partnership with other agencies is an important part of my job so I owe thanks to them for their continued support to help keep people in our communities safe.

“This ongoing work has put us in a much stronger place when it comes to supporting those affected by missing.”

Retired Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn MBE KPM

Chief Superintendent Stevie Dolan KPM

Police Constable Yocksan Bell MBE