MANY tributes have been forthcoming this week for Wiltshire police firearms officer Dick Fuller.
Everyone including friend, neighbours and former colleagues have all remembered Sgt Fuller as a dedicated officer and someone to have on your side in an emergency.
Strangely the only organisation that has not been quick to put their name to the tribute is Wiltshire Police.
A short statement in the name of the assistant chief constable, who arrived in Wiltshire just a few months ago, was released on Monday.
Yesterday a press release quoting unnamed firearms officers was put out. Bizarrely we were told it would not be safe to identify these men.
We chose to report instead the words of his former commanding officer who retired last month and knew him as a brave officer, loyal friend and community stalwart.
I too knew Dick. His children went to Bishops Canning School at the same time as mine.
Dick was, as many people have said, one of the good guys. Always ready to help.
Why he was driven to take his own life can only be a matter of speculation until the inquest is held. But everyone who knew him will miss him and be thinking about his family.
Sgt Dick Fuller was a highly regarded member of Wiltshire Police and will be sadly missed by all his colleagues and friends. Our thoughts are with the family at this tragic time.
On Monday, Assistant Chief Constable Andy Marsh - the chief police officer who oversees the department Dick worked in - issued a heartfelt message to the staff in Wiltshire and a statement to the media, expressing the organisation's sense of loss. The Chief Constable also voiced the feelings of many within the Force, sending a message to staff and ordering that the flag at Force HQ be flown at half mast as a mark of respect for Dick. Many tributes for Dick have been received from around the Force, and a number of those have been shared with the media.
It is disappointing that the Gazette and Herald has used this tragic event as an opportunity to criticise the Force at a time when it has lost a popular colleague and friend.
Sgt Dick Fuller was a highly regarded member of Wiltshire Police and will be sadly missed by all his colleagues and friends. Our thoughts are with the family at this tragic time.
On Monday, Assistant Chief Constable Andy Marsh - the chief police officer who oversees the department Dick worked in - issued a heartfelt message to the staff in Wiltshire and a statement to the media, expressing the organisation's sense of loss. The Chief Constable also voiced the feelings of many within the Force, sending a message to staff and ordering that the flag at Force HQ be flown at half mast as a mark of respect for Dick. Many tributes for Dick have been received from around the Force, and a number of those have been shared with the media.
It is disappointing that the Gazette and Herald has used this tragic event as an opportunity to criticise the Force at a time when it has lost a popular colleague and friend.
