Pepper was granted a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the night-time economy and the hospitality industry.
The list recognises people who have made achievements in public life or committed themselves to serving and helping the UK. BEM’s are given in recognition of meritorious civil or military service.
Pepper has played a crucial voluntary role in supporting National Pubwatch, both regionally in the West Midlands, by being an active member of its Committee since 2004.
As a NPW committee member, Pepper has been the driving force in the planning and delivery of its annual conference.
Safer night time economy
The voluntary organisation currently supports more than 800 pubwatches across the UK, which are groups of licensees who voluntarily work together, with the support from local partners such as the police, to address crime and anti-social behaviour to create a safer night time economy for staff and customers.
Pepper started his Pubwatch journey in 1998, as a Special Sergeant attached to the city centre team in Coventry, where he collaborated with the police licensing team, the city centre police team and the newly formed Pubwatch.
In 2002, he took ownership of the newly formed City Ambassadors, a team of four in Coventry City Centre focused on making the night time economy safe, after years of increasing violent crime
In the same year he took on the role of operations manager with the portfolio for community safety and crime reduction for CV ONE Ltd, which managed Coventry city centre.
He worked in partnership with the local Pubwatch and regular meetings were held with licensees and police to ensure crime continued to drop.
This was achieved, under his guidance, by bringing special constables into night-time economy policing, working with ambassadors and door supervisors, community safety partners and introducing regular patrols. Subsequently, Coventry was promoted to fourth safest city in the UK.
Vital support
In 2012, he also worked in the University of Warwick Community Safety Team where he was quickly given the lead for night time economy and safer socialising. Under his leadership it was one of the first universities in the country to achieve Purple Flag status.
On top of this, Pepper worked voluntarily as a special sergeant and later a special inspector with West Midlands Police from 1982 until his retirement in 2015.
He now works for Stratford-on-Avon District Council as a CCTV manager within the community safety team.
Pepper said: “Getting this BEM is very much a great honour. I have always been committed to making sure that the late-night economy is a safe and secure place for people to socialise.
“This is recognition, not just for me, but for NPW as an organisation and for all the local Pubwatches that are doing a hugely important job in ensuring that the evening economy is safe.
“NPW is very much a part of the hospitality industry and our support is vital to keeping staff and customers safe and secure and allowing safer socialising.”
