Looking back on this year, and at what our Service has faced and achieved, is poignant, emotional and extraordinary.
 
2020 has posed challenges like nothing we have seen before, and as the year draws to a close, we face continued uncertainty over what 2021 will bring and how society will have to respond.
 
Whilst there is no doubt that the Coronavirus Pandemic has brought grief, trauma and strain to the nation and to our Police Service, I am struck by the positives that we can, and must find within this.  Never before have I seen the Police Service unify in the way it has during Covid-19.  We often talk of the police family, and I often refer to the ‘Blue Team’, but I have never felt such an overwhelming sense of solidarity from our numerous organisations and policing bodies, who have all come together as one to deliver what the country requires and to support and protect our people.
 
I have seen countless examples of selfless acts of professional dedication, as officers and staff have gone out of their way to support colleagues, to help communities and to get behind our public sector colleagues on the frontline of this response.
 
I was personally called by the Home Secretary on Thursday of last week, who wished to pass on a heartfelt message of thanks to our members and to the wider Service for the incredible efforts she has witnessed.  This gratitude is felt by senior leaders across our Service and I know that the vast majority of the public also share this sense of gratitude for every one of our public sector workers.
 
I echo this thanks.  What our Service has done, and continues to do, is nothing short of incredible, and every single officer and member of staff should feel rightly proud. 
 
Whilst the festive period will be very different in many ways, I hope that we are all able to enjoy some time with family or loved ones, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.