New Cross Safer Neighbourhood Team wins gold

The New Cross Safer Neighbourhood Team won SNT of the Year at The Commissioner's Excellence in Total Policing Awards this week. Local officers PCSO Michelle Narciso Police Sergeant Mark Alger also won in a gong-filled night for Lewisham cops, whose beautiful wig work and intricately constructed back-stories helped them go deep cover to get the bad guys.

Barely able to disguise his delight, Alger said:

"We have used a whole rang of policing tactics, overt and covert to catch criminals. The covert tactics we have utilised have seen us take on a number of disguises, such as dressing up as builders, revellers, as well as homeless people. The disguises have allowed us to create a more uncomfortable environment for people in which to commit a crime. It’s a simple idea but it works and has provided us with the three or four seconds advantage over uniformed police officers, or even plain-clothes officers, in catching criminals.”

New Cross Safer Neighbourhoods Team, based in Lewisham was announced the winner of the Safer Neighbourhoods Team of the Year after they received the most public votes and their Police Community Support Officer (PCSO), Michelle Narciso was announced as the winner of PCSO of the Year. New Cross Safer Neighbourhoods Team received nominations in four categories, Safer Neighbourhoods Team of the Year, PCSO of the Year, Leadership of the Year and Police Officer of the Year.

PCSO Michelle Narciso won for developing strong links with the Chinese community - work which is now a national standard. Michelle works with the Chinese community in New cross and Deptford who historically feel excluded from main stream communities.