Anna’s beat has its own rewards

ANNA Pun’s interest in becoming a police community support officer was sparked at a jobs fair.

The mother of three young children, she was looking for a return to work after a break to look after her family, but had little idea of what she wanted to do.

“I picked up a leaflet at a jobs fair and thought it looked interesting, but I had no idea just how interesting it would be,” she said.

Anna is one of a team of five who cover Oldham’s St Mary’s ward.

She never knows what the day will bring — it could be anything from paying a visit to a school or youth club, or visiting a householder to offer help and advice after a break-in, to dealing with troublesome youths or making house-to-house inquiries to help solve crimes.

Her first job of the day is to call into the office at Oldham police station to see if there is anything from overnight she needs to act on.

Then she begins a 10-mile walk which keeps her presence on the streets high, and also means people can stop her and talk to her if they want help or to pass on information.

Whatever the day brings, a large part of Anna’s work is getting to know the people who live and work in her area, gaining their trust, and helping them with their problems.

“I provide a link between the police and residents, and I love it,” she said. “It’s very different from anything I have done before.”

Anna is now 12 months into the job, and only now beginning to reap the rewards of time put in on the beat.

“People are getting to know and trust me and I am really finding the job is what you make it,” she said. “I enjoy the freedom that comes with it, yet supervision is always there if we need it.”

Anna believes getting young people on the side of the police is a vital part of her job.

She has just set up a regular monthly surgery at Breeze Hill School so she can get to know pupils and they can go to her with any concerns they have, not only about school-life, but in their personal and home lives.

“I am often the first contact young people have with the police, and it’s less scary for them if they know the person they are talking to,” she said.