Top Cop

PC Stuart Smith, community officer for Saltburn, has been named Cleveland Police's community officer of the year 2006, an accolade which has earned him a place alongside community police officers from 43 forces in England and Wales now in with a chance of being named overall winner in November. PC Smith has 26 years service with Cleveland Police and has been based in Saltburn for eight years - three of them in his current role. He said: "People in Saltburn nominated me because of my involvement in the community." PC Smith is involved in Saltburn in Bloom, Saltburn Forward which aims to improve the town, and is a school governor at Saltburn Primary. He said: "It is really important to get involved with the local community both during and outside of my working hours. You get to know people through involvement in local organisations and it helps them to get to know me too. If I can give something back to the community that I work in, then that is great." He added: "Saltburn is a really lovely place, it's a great place to work and the involvement I have is really rewarding. I enjoy my job and also being so closely involved in the community. It was an honour for Saltburn people to nominate me and an honour to be chosen as the force's community police officer of the year. It's also great for the town too, as it's helping to put Saltburn on the map."