AFTER 30 years of policing, a dedicated officer is hanging up her boots for "some well-deserved R&R".

Sergeant Gina Denham from the Castle Point and Rochford Community Policing Team is stepping down after a distinguished policing career.

She says she’s not cutting ties completely though and after a month or two's rest, she plans to return to Essex Police as a volunteer.

Gina embarked on her policing career in 1990 as a civilian in City of London Police before signing up a year later as a volunteer police officer. She swore her oath as a police officer in 1993 and joined Essex Police as a sergeant in 2007.

When she joined Essex Police, Gina was posted to Laindon where she worked on the response team and after dipping her toes into community policing, she made the move across to community policing teams in Billericay, Basildon and Castle Point and Rochford.

Career highlights for Gina include being part of the London 2012 Olympic torch procession in Basildon and leading on a crackdown on illegal scrap metal dealing which led to a number of people being brought to justice.

After proving her salt early on, the district commander at the time gave Gina the reins to hold district wide operations in south Essex and she looks fondly back on good times spent with senior leaders in the Basildon area.

She said: “All of these people over the years that have supported me are the very reasons I want to come back as a volunteer. These people have made such a difference in my working life and my personal life, because of their support, I can’t just walk away.”

Gina has been instrumental in building the force's LGBT support network and has been a champion for diversity in recruitment drives.

She scooped one of the ten awards on offer in the 2016 British Association for Women in Policing (BAWP) awards where she received the Special Recognition award for her contribution to gender equality.

Her passion stems from the support she feels she has had in Essex Police when she came out as trans to the organisation in 2015.

She said: “I saw the best in colleagues, they were so incredibly supportive. It meant a lot to me and I’m not sure how much people may have realised the positive impact that standing by my side could have had.”

Gina credits chief constable Stephen Kavanagh for leading from the front and valuing difference at every level in Essex Police.

She added: “Most of the UK’s forces could look to Essex Police as an example of excellence in relation to valuing difference and feeling included.

“Because Mr Kavanagh has very publicly made me feel included, this has also sent more positive ripples to other trans people in and outside of the organisation too. He has made a positive impact more far reaching than he may realise.”

Gina received her long service medal in 2013 before she transitioned and wanted to look back on her photos with Mr Kavanagh and remember the journey they have been on together.

She asked him if he would retake the photo they took five years ago and he was more than happy to oblige.

He went one step further and gave Gina a new certificate to accompany the medal.

She said: “I’m glad that in the last days of my policing career, I finish my service with him as my chief. Not one senior leader in 28 years of being in the police family has been able to give me that sense of support that he has given me.”