A North East police commissioner has paid tribute to a 19-year-old officer who died in the line of duty. PC Jess Turnbull lost her life after being struck by a car when she was at the scene of a separate collision in Northumberland on the night of Monday, June 8.
The teenage officer was only months into her career, having joined Northumbria Police last September, and was following in the footsteps of her dad Andy, who also served with the force. Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth paid tribute to Jess on Tuesday afternoon and said her death was a reminder of the dangers that police officers face every day.
The Labour politician, who visits all of the force’s new recruits on their first day of training, said: “We have lots of young, very enthusiastic officers – young people like Jess who have chosen a job that is around serving the public.
“I think her loss is not just a reminder and a recognition of the absolute pain that her family and friends are going through, but also a reminder that every single police officer and other emergency services put on their uniform and respond to calls for help. They don’t know what they are going into, they don’t know if they will come back.”
Mrs Dungworth was speaking at a police and crime panel meeting in Gateshead, where a minute’s silence was held in Jess’ memory. The 19-year-old was responding to a collision on the A189 Spine Road in Cramlington when she was struck by a car unconnected to the original incident.
She was taken to hospital and died on Wednesday, June 10. Her parents, Janice and Andy Turnbull, described her as “our greatest pride and our greatest joy”.
The force’s chief constable, Vanessa Jardine, said last week: “Policing is a family, and we are mourning the passing of not only a colleague and a friend but also our own family member, and we will continue to support each other during this extremely difficult time. Jess was relatively new in service, with so much still to look forward to in her career and life.
“She was a dedicated and committed officer who always sought to do her best to keep her communities safe. Every single day, police officers up and down the country face danger to protect the public.
“Thankfully, most go home – tragically on this occasion Jess did not. I am grateful to all those who wear the uniform with pride to keep us all safe. Jess made the ultimate sacrifice and that will never be forgotten.”
