Op HALO wins inaugural national policing award

Operation HALO, Merseyside Police’s flagship initiative to protect women and girls in Liverpool’s night‑time economy, has been named the winner of the inaugural Police Licensing Excellence Award, presented at the Institute of Licensing’s Police Licensing Conference in partnership with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

The award recognises outstanding police licensing work and celebrates officers and teams who make a measurable difference to safety in the night‑time economy. This first year saw an exceptional field of nominees, reflecting the growing importance of partnership‑led approaches to safeguarding.

Winners and runners‑up

• Winner – Operation HALO: Sgt McEneany, PC Stevens and PC Fogg
• Runner‑up – PC Ste Connolly
• Runner‑up – PC Kevin Lord & PC Tony Brown (Bradford Licensing Team)

Operation HALO stood out for its innovative, multi‑agency approach to tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The initiative has trained 100 VAWG Champions across Liverpool’s bars, clubs and taxi ranks, equipping frontline staff to identify vulnerability, respond to incidents such as spiking, and preserve evidence. The scheme also introduces highly visible “Halo Points” across the city centre, offering immediate access to emergency services and reassurance for anyone feeling unsafe.

The operation has been widely welcomed by local partners, universities and charities, and is already helping to build a culture of safety across the night‑time economy.

Paul Adams, Chief Executive of the Institute of Licensing, said:

“On behalf of the IoL, I want to congratulate the winners and runners‑up of the inaugural Police Licensing Excellence Award. Operation HALO is an outstanding example of what can be achieved when policing and licensing work hand in hand to protect the public, particularly women and girls enjoying a night out. We are equally proud to recognise the exceptional work of PC Ste Connolly, and of PC Kevin Lord and PC Tony Brown from Bradford’s Licensing Team.

The IoL is pleased to be offering this award in conjunction with the NPCC, shining a spotlight on the officers and teams whose commitment, innovation and partnership working strengthen the safety and resilience of our night‑time economy.”