A SPECIALIST family liaison officer for West Midlands Police has received a national honour for her care and compassion in supporting more than 100 bereaved families.
PC Tracy Herron has worked as a roads policing officer for 18 years, including the last five as a specialist Family Liaison Officer (FLO) across Coventry, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region.
She often has the upsetting responsibility of breaking news to family members that a relative has died as a result of a crash. Her role then involves supporting bereaved families through the collision investigation process and any court proceedings, ensuring their voice is heard.
She was presented with an Outstanding Officer Achievement by road safety charity BRAKE in their 2020 Family Liaison Officers (FLO) awards.
Tracy, who is retiring next week after having served for 30 years, said: “It’s very humbling to receive the award. More than 1,750 people die on Britain’s roads each year and in every case an FLO will be there to help families through their darkest hours.
“As a FLO, I accompany bereaved families to viewings to formally identify the deceased, attend court hearings with them and am around to answer any questions. I will also help them with any outside support like counselling and other services.
“There are some cases where I have been with a family for over two years as it can take so long to get a case through a trial.
“Cases that involve the tragic death of children always stick with you. My role is simply to try and help them in any way I can and strive to do the best from them.”
Tracy also holds fundraising events to support our local charities, the Children’s Hospital and bereavement teams.
Tracey Lister, National Road Victim Service manager at Brake, said: “We were delighted to receive so many exceptional entries for this year’s FLO Awards, as each entrant is an inspiring example of the guidance and support that FLOs provide every day.”
