PC receives top accolade (From Penarth Times)

PC receives top accolade

THE VALE of Glamorgan's own police constable Emma Mudie will today be rubbing shoulders with the most outstanding officers in the UK in London during a glitzy ceremony to recognise the best police officers in the UK.

The event attracts attendance of the most senior and influential figures in policing and government, including Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, Minister of State for Policing, Security and Community Safety, and will be hosted by Nick Ross (Crimewatch UK).

Emma was picked as the winner of the Shrievalty Cup, which recognises exceptional community policing work across South Wales, and has now been chosen as South Wales Police's nomination for Jane's Police Review community officer of the year award.

Emma, a Schools Community Police Officer for the Vale of Glamorgan division, has been responsible for several initiatives which have greatly beneficial, most notably her pioneering work on the Murch Regeneration Project in Dinas Powys.

The Murch accounted for a large proportion of crime and youth annoyance for the village. PC Mudie, having grown up in the area, was aware and determined to bring in long-term changes.

She said: "Having lived in the area as a girl, I was aware of how run down many community areas of the Murch had become, in particular the shopping area, community centre and play area.

"I developed a project plan to regenerate the area, by involving the community, and giving people an environment they would be proud of."

A Murch Regeneration Group was set-up, consisting of members of the community that were affected by issues of crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.

Work was carried out updating and redeveloping, among others, the local shopping areas, youth centre, and play areas. Using practical crime prevention ideas, changes to the architecture were made to ensure safety and security.

The results of the Murch regeneration speak for themselves, with crime in the areas targeted down by as much as 50 percent.

As these areas had accounted for a large amount of Dinas Powys' crime, with the shops in 2002-3 accounting for tenpercent of all Dinas Powys crime, the effects have transformed not only the areas themselves, but the wider community of Dinas Powys, which has seen crime figures for the area drop.

As Emma said: "The response has been incredible. Crime rates have dropped significantly, shops are reporting a greatly increased turnover, and where there were empty premises, new businesses are set up and flourishing, and properties once empty are now filled."

Emma has also done much for the community outside of work hours, such as organising annual camping trips where 20 comprehensive pupils are taken on a trip away during the first week of the summer holidays.