Type Medal Status Currently awarded | Awarded for 20 years of service Established 14 June 1951 | |
 | ||
Eligibility Full time police officers Next (higher) Indian Meritorious Service Medal (British Indian Army) | ||
The Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is a decoration for police officers of the United Kingdom. First instituted in 1951, the 36 mm medal was initially issued in cupro-nickel but modern strikings are rhodium plated. The medal is presented to twenty aggregate years of service in the police services of the United Kingdom.
Contents
Criteria
The Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was instituted under Royal Warrant by King George VI in 1951 and is awarded as a mark of the Sovereign's appreciation of long and meritorious service rendered by members of the Police Forces of the United Kingdom. For an officer to become eligible for this award the Chief Constable must make a recommendation to the Home Secretary, and in doing so, is required to certify the following:
- That an officer has been a serving member of a Police Force.
- That the officer has served efficiently for the qualifying period.
- That the officer's character has been very good.'
Length of service
As this was the first long service medal awarded to emergency services, the initial award criteria was 22 years' service as a full-time regular police officer within any Constabulary. Later, long service medals introduced for other emergency services were given an award criteria of 20 years. A national campaign to change the period of service to 20 years was started by Warwickshire Police Officer Kenneth Fowler, and supported by Chief Officers, the Police Federations and Members of Parliament.
This change would bring it in line with the Fire, Ambulance and Prison Long Service and Good Conduct Medals which are all awarded after 20 years service. On 19 January 2010, Queen Elizabeth II amended the medal's royal warrant to make the qualifying period of service 20 years.
Appearance
The obverse of this medal bears the effigy of the reigning monarch while the reverse has the figure of Justice with scales in her left hand and a wreath in her right surrounded by the inscription 'FOR EXEMPLARY POLICE SERVICE'. The suspender is straight and found in both swivelling and non-swivelling formats.No bars are authorised for this medal. Naming on the rim is in impressed capital letters.