PCC Matthew Ellis says Staffordshire Police’s response to a serious incident in which two children were taken from a hotel was “tremendous and highly impressive.”
The incident happened on Friday 18 October in Stoke-on-Trent when a two year-old girl and her baby brother were allegedly kidnapped.
Following extensive work by officers, the pair were recovered safe and well in Derby on Monday 21 October.
Saleem Tahir (40), of Kelso Gardens in Nottingham, appeared at Stafford Crown Court on Tuesday 12 November charged with two counts of kidnap, one count of assault and two breaches of non-molestation orders. He was remanded in custody to re-appear at the same court on 3 February.
Mr Ellis said: “This was every parent’s nightmare – a very traumatic situation in which the well-being of two young children was in real doubt.
“The force pulled together and used all the assets available to them in a co-ordinated way to ensure a swift response to this very serious matter. The professional excellence of the police reaction was tremendous and highly impressive. It was second to none – policing at its best.
“The bottom line is that two very vulnerable children were found by officers and returned safely.
“The public rightly demand a high level of service from police and the force went above and beyond the call of duty to meet expectations and ensure the safe return of the two children.
“People in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent should know that policing in this area is fundamentally sound. It’s my role to scrutinise the police. This sometimes means pointing out when lessons need to be learnt but just as important is highlighting the great work that the police do for the majority of the time.”
