In the King’s New Year Honours list a Thames Valley Police Chief Officer has been awarded a King’s Police Medal and a member of staff has been awarded an MBE.

Deputy Chief Constable Benjamin Snuggs has been awarded the King’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service to policing in a career that has spanned more than 26 years.

Mr Snuggs was appointed as Deputy Chief Constable for Thames Valley Police in April 2023, having previously served as Deputy Chief Constable for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

Amongst holding a number of national policing portfolios and his duties at Thames Valley Police, he recently led the policing response for His Royal Highness Prince Phillip’s funeral.

He is also the national lead for Hostage and Crisis Negotiation, having served as a negotiator for many years.

In 2009, he served in Afghanistan as a European Union Police Mission civilian police advisor to the Minister of the Interior.

Mr Snuggs is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and has a degree in Law and Criminology and a Masters Degree in Police Leadership and Management.

DCC Snuggs, said: “I am truly humbled to have been awarded a King’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

"Great policing and community service relies on effective teamwork and I want to thank all the fantastic colleagues right across policing with whom I work.”

Chief Data Scientist and Head of Research for Thames Valley Police’s Violence Reduction Unit Tori Olphin has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to Technology in the Public Sector.

She has served for over three years with Thames Valley Police on behalf of the wider partnership that is the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit. 

In her role as Chief Data Scientist and Head of Research, she leads approaches to research, evaluation, and the application of technology.

Ms Olphin said: “It is an enormous privilege to be working in a role where I can directly assist the way that we keep people safe, by conducting research and developing new tools and approaches, particularly for the most vulnerable in our society."

Notably, Ms Olphin has brought the latest approaches to gathering evidence, helping the police to be more efficient and effective.

Ms Olphin developed what has become the largest randomised control trial (RCT) of the impact of hotspot policing.

Chief Constable for Thames Valley Police Jason Hogg, said: “I am proud that both Ben and Tori have been honoured.  

“Their dedication and commitment to policing and protecting our communities is clear to see.

“The recognition of their achievements is not just a reflection on themselves but also Thames Valley Police.

“Congratulations to Ben and Tori from myself and the force.”