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| 21/07/2009 |
PCSO Swaps Pounding the Street for Prestigious Award |
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A former army chef will be battling it out to become PCSO of the Year in the UNISON-sponsored category at the Jane Police Review's Annual Gala Awards.
Sharon Broderick, who works for Merseyside Police Authority, in Upton Police Station, will go up against other PCSOs from regions across the UK.
The 43-year-old UNISON member, who lives in Wallasey, previously worked as a chef in the army and for a local hospital.
She has been a PCSO for the last six and a half years.
Sharon said:
"My husband is a Merseyside Police Officer, so I saw the kinds of jobs he was doing and thought being a PCSO would be a great career change.
"It's a fantastic position, as you feel like you can make a real difference to people.
"I love being out in the community tackling the day-to-day issues.
"And I enjoy working with youths and trying to prevent them from turning to crime.
"I have recommended the job to about 40 people now and already half a dozen have joined and are loving it.
"I am extremely proud to have been nominated."
UNISON National Officer for Police Staff, Ben Priestley, said:
"PCSOs deserve to be recognised for the valuable part they play in the law enforcement team.
"They have become crucial to supporting and improving frontline police work and are the eyes and ears of our neighbourhoods.
"Pounding the streets for hours, deterring offences by visiting trouble-spots, name checking and holding suspects who may have breached an ASBO and gathering vital intelligence are just some of the duties they do on behalf of all of us.
"UNISON is also sponsoring the Diversity in Action category at the awards, which will recognise team work that encompasses diversity in its widest sense and features all aspects of equality, including gender, race, sexual orientation and disability.
"It is vital that PCSOs are seen to reflect the communities they work in."
The union has 43,000 police staff members in England, Scotland and Wales, including the Serious Organised Crime Agency, and has over 60 per cent of PCSO's in membership.
Twenty UNISON members have been nominated in the PCSO category.
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CONTACT DETAILS
• To find out more about membership benefits contact our helpline, UNISONdirect on 0845 355 0845. Lines are open 6am-midnight Mon to Fri and 9am-4pm Sat.
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