A FARNHAM police officer has been honoured recently for his work on the Sandy Hill housing estate and Upper Hale area during a special commendation ceremony at Mount Browne Surrey Police headquarters. Pc Gordon Milligan scooped the Derek Willott Award for making the area a safer place to live and for his community work in launching a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in partnership with Pavilion Housing. The ceremony, which was described by chief superintendent Sue Warren as a "celebration of success", highlighted the work of police staff and officers from Waverley, Guildford, Woking and Surrey Heath. An initiative to tackle an increase in vehicle crime in Woking and Surrey Heath earned Det Sgt Paul Warriner the Alan Craggs Award. Camberley and Woking police team administrator Tina Jones and crime management unit office manager Bob Rance both received the police staff of the year award on the day. Other officers to take away awards were Pc Tracey Taylor, who helped sexually abused children gain the confidence to give evidence against their attacker in court and Det Cons Mike Taylor, whose investigation recovered vital evidence which enabled him to identify three muggers in Guildford. Farnham neighbourhood specialist officer Pc Milligan was thanked for his hard work in Farnham, creating a Neighbourhood Watch scheme where others had failed. A police spokesman said: "Making the area a far safer place to live earned Pc Milligan his award, also voted for by his fellow staff. He recently launched a Neighbourhood Watch scheme where previous attempts had failed and has had a huge impact in the Sandy Hill and Upper Hale area." Pc Milligan himself is pleased with his award but said that he's just happy to have served his local community and thanked them for all their support. "This is the culmination of two-and-a-half years of work using a different approach to any used before on the estate," he explained. "I couldn't have done it if it hadn't been for the community taking the time to talk to me and give me information on criminals and crime. Everyone trusts me, not just as a police officer but also as a friend and that's the main thing to remember here. It's down to them as it's not like I'm walking around jumping on Billy Burglar as he comes around the corner. It's about policing in a friendly way and relying on information that the public supplies." He went on to say that it helps to be a part of the community as well as the local policeman on the street. As a resident of the area he polices, Pc Milligan finds the work even more rewarding. "I'm a neighbour as well as a policeman, so I'm very proud to have won this award for helping my own local community in their fight against crime."
