Building rapport is the key for Pc

Beat bobby Phil Hurst has worked hard to help young people in the community – and his efforts have earned him a nomination for a top award.

With two schools on his patch, the latest nominee for the title of Leicestershire Beat Bobby of the Year does his best to get to know as many of the students as he can.

Pc Hurst, who covers Countesthorpe and the smaller villages of Cosby, Foston and Kilby, said he believed this was the key to dealing with occasional anti-social behaviour on his patch.

Last year, he moved into a small office at Countesthorpe College, where he works alongside Pcso Sophie Slatford.

Pc Hurst, who transferred from Surrey police seven years ago, said: "A big part of my work is youth anti-social behaviour.

"I've worked very closely with the schools, as well as the local authority and youth organisations.

"A lot of young people come into the area every day and then socialise here in the evenings and sometimes there can be some anti-social behaviour – or at least perceptions of it.

"We've done a lot of work on that in the past year, particularly with the staff and students and with local youth organisations to try to get funding for some activities for the young people.

"A lot of this kind of work is unseen, but if we get it right it has major benefits for residents.

"I've had the time to build a rapport with people in the community, whether it's residents or the young people at the schools.

"I've worked as a general response officer but I really like being a beat officer because I can take a long-term view of things in the community, come up with solutions and then see them come to fruition.

"There isn't a great deal of crime but I get out to do what we call the disruption stuff – stopping and checking people and doing my best to prevent crime."

Today is the closing date for nominations for the annual beat officer of the year competition.

A panel of judges will sit down in May to decide the Leicestershire winner, who will be presented with a crystal rose bowl and go on to a national final.

They will also receive the Guy Swatland Memorial Shield, a trophy that was renamed last year in honour of the 2008 title-holder and beat officer for Clarendon Park, Leicester, who died in a road accident in June 2009.

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32715/f/503348/s/13c6f5fe/l/0L0Sthisisleicestershire0O0Cnews0CBuilding0Erapport0Ekey0EPc0Carticle0E3393620A0Edetail0Carticle0Bhtml/story01.htm

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