Russell is top of the cops
Detective Chief Superintendent Russell Wate has been awarded the Queen's Police medal for services to policing in this year's birthday honours.
Mr Wate joined Cambridgeshire Constabulary in May 1979 as a police constable stationed in Wisbech.
He became a detective in 1983 and has spent the majority of his professional career investigating crime both locally and nationally.
As head of CID in Cambridgeshire he led a major review following his appointment to create one of the best performing investigation departments in the UK.
He is the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead expert on investigating child deaths; vice chairman of the ACPO family liaison board; vice chairman of the ACPO child protection working group and a member of the national Homicide Working Group.
He has been a senior investigating officer on numerous major inquiries, and has received 13 commendations from judges and Chief Constables.
As one of the senior officers on the Soham inquiry in 2002/2003 he was responsible for managing the deposition site investigation, and he subsequently became Cambridgeshire's senior investigating officer for the Bichard inquiry.
Commenting on being awarded the Queen's Police Medal he said: "It's a real privilege to serve as an officer in Cambridgeshire. I'm both thrilled and humbled by this honour which is as much a tribute to the wonderful support of my family, my colleagues and my faith."
Russell, who is 47 and lives in Wisbech, is married with three grown-up children.