Two PCSOs from Scarborough win awards

Since North Yorkshire Police’s first intake in 2004, PCSOs have truly earned the respect and admiration from policing colleagues and the communities they are proud to serve.

None more so has this been felt than in Scarborough.

At the beginning of last year, PCSO Kath O’Reilly received the prestigious National PCSO Award for her outstanding community engagement in the Barrowcliff Estate.

Kath said: “It means so much to be recognised for working in a very challenging part of Scarborough.

“I like to think of being a voice for people who are not normally heard and helping to make a real difference to their quality of life and safety.

“I have nothing but praise for my colleagues in the Scarborough Neighbourhood Policing Team who work so hard to build trusting relationships within our communities.

“I’m very proud to be part of the team and to work with such amazing people.”

Kath thanked her then Sergeant Tom Wilkinson and Inspector Rebecca Lalor for nominating her in the Community Engagement category.

In their submission to the awards, they said: “In an area where police are seen as the enemy, Kath has embedded herself to the point where she is welcomed into almost every home on the estate. She is known by her first name by almost all of the children and has first-class working relationships with the headmaster and safeguarding lead in the estate’s primary school.

“It is without doubt that Kath is trusted by the community, as she constantly learns of ongoing issues disclosed to her that would otherwise go unheard, allowing her to link directly with Children and Family Services, domestic violence teams, as well as local council Community Safety Officers to ensure safeguarding risks are discussed and actioned.

“Kath is a reliable and hard-working PCSO whose contribution to policing the Barrowcliff Estate is priceless.”

If the recognition for Kath wasn’t enough for the Scarborough Neighbourhood Policing Team, they did it again in November at the North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Annual Awards.

PCSO Lorna Pearcey (pictured below) earned the accolade of ‘PCSO of the Year’.

Lorna has been instrumental in diverting young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour, reducing anti-social behaviour and championing the 'Voice of the Child' when dealing with often sensitive and traumatic incidents where children are involved directly or indirectly.

Her determination to improve the lives of young people does not end with those who are at risk of offending.

Lorna identifies safeguarding concerns, working tirelessly with other agencies to ensure that children have the support that's needed. She goes the extra mile to find anything a child is interested in that will help their development.

Lorna champions the 'Voice of the Child' and has given training to other officers. She genuinely wants to ensure that every child gets the support they need and that the right information is passed to the right agency at the right time.

Described as extremely organised, Lorna uses her skills to support other officers and teams with youth referrals and does all of this whilst completing other vital aspects of the PSCO role, including reassurance patrols, community drop-ins, burglary prevention work and victim safety plans.