A local police officer has received international recognition for her excellent work with local communities.
Inspector Hazel Brady, who works in Community Safety within C District, has been awarded both the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) 2014 Community Service Award and the British Association of Women Police (BAWP) 2014 Community Service Award.
Inspector Brady, who has served as a police officer for 22 years received her international award at an awards luncheon attended by police women from around the world at a ceremony in Canada last month. She received the prestigious accolade from the British Association of Women Police at a special ceremony in Stratford-upon-Avon on Nov 11th.
She said: “I was delighted to receive the awards. I think this recognition reflects the long-term relationships local police have with their community. These special awards are about the work we do with our local communities and what we deliver together in order to keep people safe.
“I am humbled and honoured to have been so publically recognised by both the IAWP and BAWP and I would like to thank everyone I have worked as I see this as a team effort.”
IAWP President Jane Townsley said: “Partnership and community engagement are at the heart of Inspector Brady’s work and her creative and innovative approach has proved enormously helpful to delivering key policing objectives and raising public confidence in local policing.
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Inspector Hazel Brady with C District Commander, Chief Supt Peter Farrar.[/caption]
“She works tirelessly to combat some of the most heinous crimes that affect vulnerable victims, including child sexual exploitation and human trafficking. She is an extremely worthy recipient of the IAWP’s Community Service Award.”
For the last four years Inspector Brady has been Inspector for Community Safety in C District, covering North Down and Ards, Down and Castlereagh. She has been the instigator of several projects focussing on community needs including the successful ‘‘Positive Female Role Model/Football Engagement Initiative’ which facilitated engagement between Year 6 and 7 school girls and front line female police officers, who were able to mentor them and encourage healthy and active life choices.
Inspector Brady also championed ‘C District Secured’, which is a project, aimed at securing the homes of victims of domestic violence, elderly and vulnerable victims of crime. This scheme ensured that victims received adequate and appropriate security measures and advice to help them feel safe in their homes and enjoy a better quality of life.
In March 2013, Inspector Brady identified cyber crime as an emerging concern amongst school pupils, parents and teachers and secured funding from the four Police and Community Safety Partnerships across the District to deliver a four week Cyber Crime Project. This project involved the delivery of an internet safety drama and workshop addressing sexting, on line grooming, cyber bullying, teenage suicide and online gaming.
Over the last two years Inspector Brady has worked to tackle the issue of high risk missing children and their sexual exploitation. During 2012/13, Inspector Brady secured funding from the Assets Recovery Fund to run a six months programme of engagement between police officers, and the residents and staff of a Children’s home.
Inspector Brady has also led the way in highlighting the hidden issue of Human Trafficking and her tireless work led to a PSNI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Conference attended by more than 50 people from statutory and non statutory agencies. She also secured training in partnership with North Down and Ards ACT (Active Communities Against Human Trafficking) for all front line officers within the District to further raise awareness and the detection of human trafficking victims and offenders. In partnership with Flourish (a Human Trafficking Charity), Inspector Brady hosted a gala evening with celebrity guest speaker Ross Kemp to raise funds and awareness for a local Human Trafficking Charity. The event was attended by almost 300 people and VIP’s and raised over £3,000.
Addressing antisocial behaviour is a district priority and Inspector Brady has employed several schemes to attract youths to use their energy and time constructively. One such scheme is ‘Starquest’, a performing arts competition showcasing young talent which now involved young people from across the District.
Inspector Brady also secured funding and partnership for the Down Coastal Rowing project which involved local coastal villages in east Down building skiffs to take part in the Narrows Challenge Races on Strangford Lough. Local neighbourhood officers have been involved in this project which is a great example of community engagement.
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