NEW For 2007 - Community Support Officer of the Year Award 2007
Sponsored by ACPO Neighbourhood Policing Programme
Name: Deb Charman
Force: Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Service: Three years and 10 months
Career Highlights: Last year, Deb Charman convinced a mobile phone supplier to donate a phone to the local school. The phone was to be used as an anonymous phone line for pupils who are witness to or who experience bullying. She also set up a 'drugline', which has resulted in positive interventions to prevent drug dealing.
What others say: Graham Silverthorne, headteacher of the Gordano Community School, says: 'What we all seek to do in our working lives is to make a difference and Debbie has done this without any doubt. She is a highly respected and highly valued member of our community. She is a credit to the police Force.'
Name: Dan Luczak
Force: British Transport Police
Service: Three years with West Midlands Police, nine months with the BTP
Career Highlights: Dan Luczak has joined Forces with a popular local DJ to set up a youth club to get young people off the streets and steer them away from nuisance behaviour. He worked with local dance groups and other DJs to organise a summer park festival where the message was 'zero tolerance' to anti-social behaviour. Mr Luczak also introduced a scheme allowing children to meet prisoners to highlight the negative impact of turning to crime.
What others say: Alan Pacey, assistant chief constable with the Force, says: 'Dan's supervisors recognise the energy, enthusiasm and proactivity with which he has tackled some ongoing and problematic issues impacting the local railway community.'
Name: Sara Rose
Force: Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Service: Three years and nine months
Career Highlights: Sara Rose has taken it upon herself to visit every victim of burglary on her patch, a target which has been achieved by her team for the past three years, and which has fostered a positive attitude in residents, her Force says. She is not adverse to rolling up her sleeves and has been praised for her part in filling skips with old mattresses and painting over graffiti as part of environmental action days.
What others say: Chesterton residents Joy and Reg Voisey say in a letter to Ms Rose: 'Thank you very much for all the work and extra hours put in…We do appreciate your efforts to make this end of Cambridge a safer place to live and have noticed a definite improvement in many areas of the community.'
Name: Kathryn Harkin
Force: Cheshire Constabulary
Service: Four years
Career Highlights: Kathryn Harkin set up a Forcewide 'streetsafe' initiative as a result of concerns for local children. She wanted to provide all children in Cheshire with personal safety advice, and enlisted the help of a private company who funded the production of 45,000 wristbands to promote the scheme. She also set up shop watch and school watch programmes to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour. She was nominated for the National Justice Award by her Force for the high standard of her community work.
What others say: Her Force says: 'Kathryn Harkin's creativity and innovation have been apparent, working with partners to ensure her ideas have become reality not only for the benefit of the community she serves, but for the wider public of Warrington and Cheshire.'
Name: Michael Proffitt
Force: City of London Police
Service: Two years and three months
Career Highlights: Michael Proffitt has almost eliminated the problem of drug paraphernalia littering his patch. He set up a patrol log which ensured the worst hit areas were patrolled by a CSO each hour. He has also broken down the thorny barriers that existed between the police and people sleeping rough in the city. He has taken down the details of every homeless person in the area and offered them support, resulting in getting a number of the streets.
What others say: Terry O'Donnell, Middlesex Street estate officer, says: 'We are very fortunate to have a community support officer as dedicated and professional as Michael Proffitt assigned to our estate and I feel he is a worthy nominee for the community support officer award.'
Name: Andrew Leight
Force: Cleveland Police
Service: One year
Career Highlights: When the Force discovered that 70 per cent of all its disorder reports were coming from one particular street, Andrew Leight took action. He identified the ring leader, obtained an anti-social behaviour order and enlisted the help of the community to keep an eye on the suspect. Call-outs to the area have since dropped by 90 per cent and residents now say they feel safe to walk to streets at night without being targeted and intimidated.
What others say: Derek Bonnard, assistant chief constable with the Force, says: 'Over the last year, Andy has become a trusted and respected member of the community. He has developed high levels of knowledge, understanding, skills and experience that have ably assisted him to maximise his contributions to neighbourhood policing.'
Name: Leesa Heron
Force: Cumbria Constabulary
Career Highlights: Ms Heron has gathered intelligence throughout the community which has helped in a recent crack house closure. She has worked with a housing association gathering intelligence and recording statements on behalf of the association. In another case, she gathered intelligence and produced reports which helped secure an anti-social behaviour order against a 12-year-old boy. Ms Heron also takes part in talks at schools about anti-social behaviour and drug use.
What others say: Graham Sunderland, an assistant chief constable of Cumbria Constabulary, says: 'Leesa has used her experience to raise the profile of community support officers by engaging with the media.'
Name: Stephen Cathcart
Force: Derbyshire Constabulary
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: In Shirebrook, where Stephen Cathcart works, rumours were circulating amongst local people that Polish immigrants were taking all the area's jobs. Mr Cathcart worked with employers to introduce recruitment campaigns and advised jobseekers on how to fill in application forms. While on patrol he made efforts to calm the atmosphere and improve relations. He also rescued five children from a burning building. They were later arrested for arson.
What others say: Ch Insp Tracy Harrison says: 'One of Steve's many strengths is his patience and the time he spends listening to the community. His dedication and patience is valuable in breaking down the barrier between the community and the police.'
Name: Jonathan Borrett
Force: Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Service: Two years and two months
Career Highlights: When Jonathan Borrett found young people were drinking in a derelict row of houses, he did not stop at setting up extra patrols, he also put pressure on the local housing association to demolish the dangerous properties. Mr Borrett also has a softer side, his Force says, and when an elderly local resident shared with him her fears about crime, he went out of his way to provide her with crime prevention products and advice and he continues to regularly check on her.
What others say: Sgt Stephen Rooke says: 'I believe Jonathan has set a far higher standard than would be expected of any CSO. He is an excellent role model for all current and future community support officers to follow.'
Name: Mark Wordarek-Black
Force: Dorset Police
Service: Four years and four months
Career Highlights: Mark Wordarek-Black is permanently active; whether he is organising football matches between police staff and local officers or introducing youths to boxing. He also raised money to help keep a drop-in centre open on Saturdays to help youngsters who needed advice on sex and drugs. After setting up a shoplink system, Mr Wordarek-Black was responsible for catching a group of shoplifters and recovering hundreds of pounds worth of stolen DVDs.
What others say: Beat manager PC Kevin House, says: 'Mark has developed into an excellent community support officer. He has gained great experience in local problems and gone beyond expected duties to deal with these problems.'
Name: Christine Taylor
Force: Durham Constabulary
Service: Three years
Career Highlights: When her beat was blighted with stray cats and dogs, Christine Taylor decided to take action. She set up an event with the RSPCA which worked to identify the owners of stray pets and freed up police time to deal with more pressing issues. Her area has also seen a substantial drop in arson and criminal damage since she set up joint operation with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to target abandoned vehicles.
What others say: Sgt Chris Thompson says: 'Christine is responsible for generating a workload which is nothing short of phenomenal. She has been responsible for the arrest of some 20 persons over the past year. Her enthusiasm for her role and her own personal drive has earned praise from all quarters.'
Name: Yusuf Patel
Force: Gloucestershire Constabulary
Service: Three years
Career Highlights: By attending prayer meetings at local mosques, Yusuf Patel has taken account of the concerns of the Muslim community which he has passed on to the Force. He has also proven a useful link between police officers and local youths who did not trust the Force. He has also submitted a large number of covert reports, more than some of his police officer colleagues, according to his supervisors. He even works in a local young people's home in his spare time.
What others say: PC Mike Bailey, of the Force's hate crime unit, says: 'Since Yusuf has been in post, he has been a valuable asset to the division. He continues to be a positive role model and is informative to members of the public and police staff about his faith.'
Name: Gary Etchells
Force: Greater Manchester Police
Service: Four years and three months
Career Highlights: Gary Etchells has the highest work rate of any CSO in the division, according to his Force. He has seized huge amounts of alcohol from underage drinkers, making numerous referrals to the community safety team. He has been praised for diverting young people from anti-social behaviour, establishing police surgeries and cracking down on burglaries.
What others say: Andrew Marston, the Force's assistant chief HR officer says: 'Gary Etchells's dedication to his role can be evidenced in the way he dealt with being stabbed, causing near fatal injuries, while dealing with an incident. He even used his own traumtic circumstances to highlight the work of the National Blood Service.'
Name: Andrew Norman
Force: Gwent Police
Career Highlights: Mr Norman has earned three commendations, four good work reports from managers and numerous letters of appreciation from the public and the police officers he works with at Gwent Police. According to his force, he has excellent communication skills, generates community intelligence and has built strong relationships with other agencies such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. As part of his role, he works with youngsters and elderly people in his Pillgwenlly beat in Newport and his force says he specialises in patrols of troublesome areas.
What others say: William Horne, an assistant chief constable with the force, says: 'Andrew epitomises everything that we seek in a community support officer.'
Name: Darren 'Willie' Ruston
Force: Hampshire Constabulary
Service: One year and one month
Career Highlights: Darren Ruston is an important point of contact for community intelligence, his Force says. Due to this ability he is used as a 'spotter' when conducting local crime initiated operations. His knowledge of <insert image>Names and faces is used to establish intelligence and disrupt criminality. In September 2006, Mr Ruston saw a man wanted by police and gave chase. He shouted for two workmen to help restrain the man and although one initially helped, they later left and Mr Ruston had to restrain the aggressive man until further police units arrived.
What others say: Sgt Ross Freemantle says: 'Having supervised Willie I have been staggered by how much passion and commitment he dedicates to the community of Portsea.'
Name: Sandra Crichton
Force: Hertfordshire Constabulary
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: Sandra Crichton has been instrumental in the detention of a large number of shoplifters, according to the Force. She recently detained four shoplifters who were all charged. She was also involved in the initial stop of a sex offender resulting in him being charged with 25 offences. Ms Crichton has organised and run two operations aimed at disrupting anti-social behaviour and disorder and another aimed at 'purse dippers'. She was also involved in improving the relationship between police and local youths and has organised a pool match with members of the local YMCA to improve neighbourhood relations.
What others say: A spokesman for the Force says: 'Sandra is one of the most motivated, committed and high performing community support officers in the area.'
Name: Sarah Grange
Force: Kent Police
Service: Three and a half years
Career Highlights: Sarah Grange is based at the Marlowe Academy in Ramsgate but has a wider responsibility to meet with local people. She works with young people adopting a 'restorative justice' approach in many instances. Ms Grange's local community call her about instances of graffiti and anti-social behaviour and she follows up these issues by ensuring young offenders clean up the graffiti and write letters of apology. She has also set up an operation involving a large-scale live demonstration of the aftermath of a fatal collision involving a moped to promote national drive safe week.
What others say: A spokesman for the Force says: 'Sarah has built up excellent working relationships with local organisations who offer support to the young people in the area.'
Name: Nigel Brooke
Force: Lancashire Constabulary
Service: Four years
Career Highlights: Nigel Brooke is a familiar sight in the Livesey, Feniscowles, Ewood and Mill Hill areas and covers 60 miles a week on his bike. A recent success was persuading local canal management to take part in a number of measures to prevent motorbikes from using the towpath. It was his persistence in the face of apathy that impressed his bosses, the Force says. Not only does Mr Brooke work full time with the police but he also works for local voluntary groups and charities for the elderly. He recently received a chief constable's commendation.
What others say: Steve Finnigan, the Force's chief constable, says Nigel has built up strong relationships with the local community and is held in high regard by colleagues.
Name: Lyn Simmons
Force: Norfolk Constabulary
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: Lyn Simmons has worked at improving communication in her area by making herself available to residents and getting to know all young people by <insert image>Name. Rowdiness was a problem in her area, largely down to teenagers hanging around the shops. Ms Simmons was able to persuade youngsters to move on. By gathering intelligence which led to arrests for drugs possession, her Force says she demonstrated a no-nonsense approach to disorder, combined with a readiness to listen to local people.
What others say: Doreen Cochrane, a local resident, says: 'Come rain or shine you will always see Lyn with a beaming smile. She does a lot of work for the community and we now have a much quieter life.'
Name: Mark Tooley
Force: Northamptonshire Police
Service: Two years and four months
Career Highlights: When Mark Tooley came across a young couple with a baby loitering in an abandoned pigeon coop, he realised the area was being used for illegal drug taking. There was not enough evidence to take action against the individuals, so he obtained their details and submitted a report to the Force's child protection unit. He had the building demolished, preventing further drug use in the area. He also worked to clean up a block of flats in his area where litter and graffiti were rife.
What others say: According to his Force, Mr Tooley's supervisor receives calls from the supervisors of CSOs at other stations asking why he is so successful and how they can learn from his skills to pass on to members of their own teams.
Name: Brendan Croud
Force: North Wales Police
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: Commununication is Brendan Croud's main strength, according to his Force. His main focus is anti-social behaviour and his approach is to maintain a strong network of contacts in the neighbourhoods he serves. In a typical week he can be handling tricky anti-social behaviour issues, responding to enquiries at local meetings and mentoring junior CSOs. The annual raft race and the Menai Bridge Fair can be rowdy events, his Force says, but Mr Croud had the foresight to anticipate problems and prevent them.
What others say: Michelle Grundy, secretary of the Tyddyn Mostyn residents' association, says: 'Brendan is priceless. He has changed the face of policing in the community making the police friendly, approachable and non-intimidating.'
Name: Laura Walton
Force: North Yorkshire Police
Service: Four years
Career Highlights: Laura Walton covers 13 villages where she has built up a reputation for being pro-active and having a well maintained network of local contacts, her Force says. She regularly carries out high visibility patrols, makes herself available by mobile phone and allows residents to contact her by e-mail. She is skilled at sorting out local small scale disputes which cause grief to neighbourhoods, whether it is warning an anti-social neighbour of the consequences of their actions, persuading Travellers to park their cars properly or providing reassurance to the elderly victims of distraction burglaries.
What others say: Gillian Ivey, a local county councillor, says: 'Laura has had particular success in stopping youngsters from drinking on the streets. She puts her heart and soul into her work.'
Name: Michael (Tony) Gallagher
Force: Leicestershire Constabulary
Service: Four years
Career Highlights: Michael Gallagher, commonly known as Tony, will rarely be found at the station, according to colleagues, as he is always out and about helping to close crack houses, organising patch walks, setting up litter pick walks with local children and diverting young people from crime with fun events. As part of this, Mr Gallgher created a garden in the National Forest with local youngsters to teach them the value of team work.
What others say: Sgt Nick Jayne, from the Coalville local policing unit, says: 'Tony is a shining example of what a community support officer should be. Most people in Coalville know him and this is what being a CSO is all about, being a visible contact for the public and at the heart of everything going on in the community.'
Name: Christopher Boyle
Force: Lincolnshire Police
Service: Five years
Career Highlights: When a 14-year old-girl went off the rails and started assaulting her parents and siblings, damaging property and going missing, Christopher Boyle took the time to get to know her and successfully worked with partner agencies to improve her behaviour. He also set up a VIP (volunteer individual performer) scheme where the neighbourhood policing team boards school buses to recruit young people to help improve their area, with the chance to win prizes.
What others say: Peter Davies, an assistant chief constable with the Force, says: 'Christopher Boyle is an excellent example of a community support officer. He combines the highest standards of community policing with all the contemporary developments in this area.'
Name: Robert Johnson
Force: Merseyside Police
Service: Two years and two months
Career Highlights: Whether he is physically clearing the rubbish from his beat area, helping to remove hazardous and illegal motorbikes or assisting the young and elderly, Robert Johnson knows the importance of the community support officer role, according to his Force. In his relatively short time with the Force, Mr Johnson has initiated these and many other schemes to help protect his community. But his work is not just proactive - he has initiated a number of arrests and anti-social behaviour orders, working with his officer colleagues.
What others say: Adele Fox, a store manager at the Netherton retail estate, says: 'I now feel a lot safer coming to work because I know Rob and other officers will be checking on all of us in the shop.'
Name: Shinya Nishitani
Force: Metropolitan Police
Service: One year
Career Highlights: After police were called to deal with a violent offender with mental health issues, Shinya Nishitani decided to set up an origami class to provide a regular police presence to a group of individuals with mental health conditions, a group that was previously hard to reach. According to staff at the facility, Mr Nishitani's work was instrumental in forging links with an unreachable group and helped to prevent anti-social behaviour. He also used his cultural knowledge to set up a 'Japan Day' at a school and build links with local children.
What others say: Tim Godwin, an assistant commissioner, says: 'Shjinya is an exceptional individual doing an excellent job…His colleagues and the senior management team in his borough respect him and appreciate his work.'
Name: Sgt Philip Morley
Force: Essex Police
Service: 19 years
Career Highlights: As a beat officer in the two Burnham on Crouch neighbourhood beat teams, Sgt Morley oversaw a 29 per cent drop in reported crime in 2005-2006. The following year, when he was promoted from PC, he saw reported crime drop by another five per cent and a sanction detection rate of 31 per cent. His Force says his area has seen a drop in anti-social behaviour after he introduced 'shop-watch' and 'pub-watch' schemes.
What others say: Andy Bliss, deputy chief constable with the Force, says: 'Sgt Morley has made an outstanding contribution to the quality of life for local residents. He has achieved success by engaging with partner agencies and building strong relationships within the community.'
Name: PC Rebecca Handy
Force: West Mercia Constabulary
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: After a spate of attacks on eastern Europeans in Redditch, PC Handy appealed for help from immigrants to assist the police in their investigation. These individualso now provide assistance with interpretation and community intelligence, the Force says. PC Handy also received a divisional commendation for her leadership in the Partners and Communities Together (PACT) initiative.
What others say: PC Handy's divisional commendation says she was: 'Commended for her outstanding leadership, commitment and dedication in developing the PACT process, particularly her willingness to share her learning and experiences with colleagues across North Worcestershire.'
Name: Sgt James McKellar Main
Force: Humberside Police
Service: Seven years
Career Highlights: Sgt McKellar Main's success with the Force's respect patrol will be immortalised next year in a TV documentary. To tackle anti-social behaviour, he introduced a patrol which saw an unmarked minibus filled with police officers, head teachers, youth offending workers, drug and alcohol workers and the media. The van then patrolled for wayward youths. The dedicated unit has attended 80 per cent of incidents (the Force's previous record was 37 per cent) .
What others say: Tim Hollis, the Force's chief constable, says: 'Sgt McKellar Main epitomises the enthusiasm, commitment and motivation needed to underpin neighbourhood policing.'
Name: PC Samantha Gibbs
Force: West Mercia Constabulary
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: Disarming a man with a meat cleaver and helping a harassed local resident deal wth the annoyance of a noisy neighbour have been some of the events PC Gibbs has dealt with in her first two years as a police officer. She was the only officer on the scene when she was faced with a man with a cleaver who had already attacked four occupants of a car. She was able to calm him down, disarm him and get him transported to hospital.
What others say: A spokesman for the Force says PC Gibbs seems to have a wisdom beyond her years and her supervisors know she can be relied on to carry out the most complicated enquiries with diligence.
Name: PC Carl Booth
Force: Essex Police
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: As PC Booth was had been a community support officer before becoming a student officer, he is noticeably mature, his Force says. After spotting that one Clacton address was the centre of regular disruption, he took it upon himself to do regular surveillance and this led to enough intelligence for him to apply for a search warrant, resulting in the seizure of a quantity of drugs and the arrest of a drug dealer who received a sentence.
What others say: Andy Bliss, deputy chief constable with the Force, says: 'I think it is fair to say that PC Booth demonstrates everything that 'action' is about on a daily basis and he is an asset to the police service.'
Name: Fintan Fitzpatrick
Force: Northumbria Police
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: Fintan Fitzpatrick's beat, on the council estates of East Gateshead, is in the bottom one per cent of deprived areas in the country. According to his Force, Mr Fitzpatrick is seen as someone who can be trusted but who also will not stand for any nonsense. Graffitti can be the blight of such neighbourhoods but Mr Fitzpatrick took a pro-active approach, using his digital camera to take pictures and liaising with schools. Arrests duly followed. He has also put a lot of work into gathering information on drug dealers and anti-social behaviour.
What others say: Ray Foster, headteacher at Bede community primary school says: 'Fintan is known to all the children as a 'friendly policeman' and he supports parents.'
Name: Sandra Lammond
Force: Nottinghamshire Police
Service: Three years
Career Highlights: Sandra Lammond puts many extra hours into the job, her Force says.
She attends as many local community groups as she can, helps to organise DJ courses and football competitions for young people and has helped to establish a youth club.
She has been very successful at building bridges with the Asian community and regularly attends the Ladies' Asian Group and the Older Person's Forum.
She was also the guest of honour at the local community's Dhiwali celebrations this year.
What others say: A spokesman for the Force says: 'Sandra Lammond is without doubt 100 per cent dedicated to her beat and the community that falls within that area.'
Name: Stephen Paskell
Force: South Wales Police
Service: Three years
Career Highlights: The corridors of the Royal Glamorgan Hospital are the beat for Stephen Paskell who is attached to the Pontypridd and Rhonda NHS Trust.
He has had to deal with a variety of situations, including dispersing groups of youths who were congregating at entrances and causing disruption in waiting rooms. He also produces a quarterly newsletter on crime reduction and personal safety for all staff, patients and visitors to the hospital.
What others say: Claire Morgan, directorate manager medicine at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, says: 'I have worked with Steve in several sensitive situations and he is extremely responsive, supportive and professional in his approach to the job.'
Name: Richard Kearney
Force: South Yorkshire Police
Service: Four years
Career Highlights: With the help of Richard Kearney, the Wentworth South Safer Neighbourhood Team has become the most pro-active in Rotherham, according to the Force, and Mr Kearney's managers say it is his leadership that has made the difference. He has also been entrusted with supervising the roll-out of another 55 community support officers. The fact that he lives in his own patch and is a school governor shows his commitment to the community, says his Force.
What others say: Paul Spriggs, manager of a park in Wentworth, says: 'Richard and his team cannot be congratulated enough for the way they have worked to address the park's issues. Young people are now seeing local police as an authorative presence.'
Name: Nicola Burton
Force: Staffordshire Police
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: 'How does she do it?' That is the question managers and colleagues most often ask about Nicola Burton, her Force says. Not only does she patrol a large area, but she seems adept at juggling half a dozen commitments. In the past few months she has helped organise an anti-shoplifting campaign, a football fun day and is on the management board of a youth sports and community centre. She still deals with day-to-day work, whether it is issuing acceptable behaviour contracts or tickets for obstruction.
What others say: Tony Phillips, a council estate manager, says: 'Nicola has become well known on our estates because she does most of her work on foot and is therefore a visible presence.This is what our residents want.'
Name: Andrew Bridgman
Force: Surrey Police
Service: Four years
Career Highlights: A passion for football has paid off well for Andrew Bridgman. His six-a-side football tour<insert image>Nament has helped to break down barriers between the police and the local community, according to his Force. He also set up shop and pub watch schemes which have led to thefts being detected and prosecuted.
His Force also says that he dealt very well with the pressure of being the first community support officer to work in the East Surrey division in Horley four years ago.
What others say: Brian Moore, deputy chief constable, says: 'I have no hesitation in supporting Andrew Bridgman for his outstanding initiatives which have produced tangible benefits for the community.'
Name: Andre de Jongh
Force: Suffolk Constabulary
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: Stories from Andre de Jongh's previous life as a game ranger in South Africa have helped establish bonds with youngsters from troubled backgrounds in the local Children's Resource Centre. Forging links with these children is a key part of his role, according to his Force as, in the past, police contact with the youngsters would have involved prosecuting offenders. He has been called to calm angry situations within the centre, preventing them from escalating into criminally offensive behaviour.
What others say: One of Mr de Jongh's jobs was to gain entry to the flat of a woman who had committed suicide. Her mother says: 'The situation was handled with such kindness and so much consideration for me and respect for my daughter.'
Name: Nick Baker
Force: Sussex Police
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: When an elderly couple had their garage vandalised, Nick Baker, who patrols the Bognor Regis area, organised a clean-up and pulled together volunteer youngsters to help out.
He even went out and bought the cleaning equipment himself.
He also turned detective when a local councillor became plagued by baffling silent calls.
After making inquiries, he discovered they were due to a neighbour's broadband service playing up.
What others say: Geoff Williams, -deputy chief constable, says: 'Nick has been a community support officer in -Bognor Regis for two and a half years and during that time he has had a tremendous impact on the community he serves.'
Name: Trevor Hooper
Force: Thames Valley Police
Service: One year
Career Highlights: In January, Trevor Hooper took the lead in co-ordinating a multi-agency anti-social behaviour conference to deal with five individuals from the Elmhurst area. In addition to presenting information to the conference, he took minutes from the meeting and was able to ensure all partner agencies were aware of their future roles and responsibilities in the case.
He also gathered intelligence in the investigation of a local drug dealer who was subsequently arrested.
What others say: A Force spokesman says: 'Trevor's success in building confidence with members of the community demonstrates his skill in communicating the positive work being completed by the police service.'
Name: Tristan Jelfs
Force: Warwickshire Police
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: Tristan Jelfs's relationship with a school allowed him to deal with a case of bullying involving one boy and his father and he has worked closely with the British Transport Police to identify the perpetrators of vandalism. He is a regular presence at a whole range of local activities whether it is the local youth group or residents associations. He has reintroduced - and then widely promoted - pub, shop and neighbourhood watch schemes that had fallen dormant in the Henley area he polices.
What others say: Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators Roy and Wendy Cowdrill say Mr Jelfs has made a 'very important difference' to everyone in the community and has made it a safer environment in which to live and work.
Name: Lindon Lloyd
Force: West Mercia Constabulary
Service: One year
Career Highlights: The bullying of a disabled child and his mother was one of the more delicate problems Lindon Lloyd has dealt with on his patch near Redditch.
He planned his patrols so he was in the family's area, the Force says, always stopping to reassure the mother.
The Force adds: 'The family not only now regard Lindon as their local community support officer but also as their friend.'
Mr Lloyd has also been awarded a divisional commander's commendation for his work.
What others say: Paul West, chief constable, says: 'Lindon is a valued, trusted and respected asset to the community he serves. For those fortunate enough to know him, he is the epitome of a community support officer.'
Name: Karen Ballard
Force: West Midlands Police
Service: Three years
Career Highlights: In one neighbourhood, residents lives' were being made a misery because of a cannabis factory in a local house and drug dealing in another. There was associated crime and disorder. Karen Ballard gathered information that made searches and arrests possible for her police officer colleagues. She then assisted with scene preservation after the house was raided. When she identified a local youngster who graffiti 'tagged' a wall, she alerted colleagues and detained the boy on foot, he was then arrested. She linked him to an earlier robbery and assault, which he admitted.
What others say: A Force spokesman says: 'Karen shows constant enthusiasm and dedication. She is constantly going that extra mile to improve the quality of life for local residents.'
Name: Peter Doyle
Force: West Yorkshire Police
Service: Two years
Career Highlights: A mature recruit, Peter Doyle owned and ran a flower shop for 12 years before becoming a community support officer. In his short time in the role, his Force says he has shown exceptional investigative ability. In one case, he used CCTV and till receipts to uncover a theft from a fish and chip shop.
When local resident Maureen Richardson's husband Geoff collapsed in the road, Mr Doyle was on hand to help. He could not save Mr Richardson's life but Mrs Richardson told the Force: 'I was so grateful for Peter's help. He is obviously a deeply caring person.'
What others say: Julia Hodson, deputy chief constable, says: 'Peter was an obvious choice for our nomination given the outstanding achievements and contribution he has made.'