Police Sergeant Kiran Patel said:

“My policing career with West Midlands Police spans 13 years, across a variety of teams including response, Guardian Task Force (a proactive knife crime and robbery team), Operation Unity (the policing operation to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games), and more recently neighbourhood policing.

“With support from Police Now’s Frontline Leadership Programme, I was promoted to sergeant rank last year and joined Washwood Heath Neighbourhood Policing Team. I work in a very diverse part of Birmingham while supervising this fantastic team of officers to deliver an essential public service and improve the quality of life for local residents.

“There is always more work to be done to reduce crime in the area, but I know how passionate the officers in my team are about protecting and serving the public. I wanted to empower them to do this to the best of their ability, so when I joined as a new leader in the team last year I set out very clear priorities, with a particular focus on building public trust and confidence and strengthening our relationship with the local community. We made some bold changes to the way we work and function as a group and this award is a real credit to the team.

“Members of the team have been working with local schools to proactively engage with young people in the area, and to improve our relationships with the retail community through close collaborating with the local traders association. I am still involved in this day-to-day frontline policing work alongside them and am currently involved in ‘Operation Holly’ to tackle serious youth violence in the area.

“It’s a privilege to lead such excellent officers, each with their own unique skills and knowledge. PC Kalam Begh – who joined the force via Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme in 2020 and is now also on their Frontline Leadership Programme – has an outstanding memory for intelligence and has worked tirelessly to deal with local organised crime groups and put dangerous people behind bars.

“I joined Police Now’s Frontline Leadership Programme at a time when I was preparing for my promotion board interview. As part of the programme, I was able to take part in a mock interview just days before sitting the real board. It helped prepare me for the challenging interview and I was humbled to succeed with top marks. I had worked with Police Now in the past and could see how it was influencing officers and making a positive impact on communities. I highly recommend their programmes to those considering joining the service or looking into leadership roles, and I highly recommend neighbourhood policing as an area to make meaningful change. Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of Police Now and I would say it’s one of the most rewarding roles in policing, where you are able to make a real difference to the lives of others and see the fruits of your actions.”