Sharon Beshenivsky
Studied at Bradford College between 2000 and 2001. Dreamt all her adult life of being a police officer but died, serving the local community before she had even completed a year.
Sharon Beshenivsky studied First Aid, Food
Hygiene and Stress Management at the
College. Until attending the College part-
time, Sharon spent many years looking
after her young family and being a childminder. She was married to Paul and had
five children.
Sharon first joined West Yorkshire Police
in 2003 as a Police Community Support
officer; she then became a Police Constable
on February 7th 2005, something Sharon
had hoped to be for many years. Sharon
completed her basic training and joined
Team 5 at Bradford South in May.
Tragically on Friday 18th November
2005 Sharon was murdered in the line of
duty, protecting the very community that
Bradford College is part of. Answering a
routine call to investigate an alarm going
off at Universal Express Travel in Morley
Street, she and her colleague were shot at by
gunmen robbing the travel agents. Sharon
was shot, fatally.
Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn said
at the time: “She has been described by
her inspector and all of her colleagues
as enthusiastic and very positive. Her
colleagues remember her particularly for
her infectious laugh. Her shift inspector
told me last night he would have liked 30
Sharon’s on the relief. She was very proud
of her family and when she did have time
to relax she was a keen bingo player.”
The people of Bradford and particularly
the local community, including all the staff
and students at the College, were shocked
at the tragic and cruel death of Sharon
Beshenivsky and pay tribute to her bravery
in the call of duty.
Thanks to Paul Beshenivsky and his family
for allowing us to include Sharon in this
exhibition.
Photograph courtesy of West Yorkshire Police