Non-Subscriber Extract
Hometown hero
20 November 2008
Insp Noel Rogan wanted to change the way of life for people in Larne, the Northern Irish town where he grew up, which was blighted by sectarian violence.
Eight years ago he returned to the area as a neighbourhood policing inspector, risking his and his family's safety as many offenders knew who he was. It has proved a successful move. The Police Service of Northern Ireland says since his return, Insp Rogan has used his local knowledge and contacts to bring communities together and start making a difference.
His achievements include defusing tension using a flag forum to restrict where paramilitary flags can fly, helping develop an outreach centre for youngsters and bringing together people from all parts of the community to discuss issues in a 'good relations' meeting before disagreements end in violence.
Insp Rogan's 26 years of police service earned him a Queen's Police Medal in the birthday honours list this year and now it has also earned him the title of Police Review's Community Police Officer of the Year.