A BARTON policewoman has been named Oxfordshire’s neighbourhood officer of the year.

Pc Dawn Evans, who joined the force in 2000 and has worked in the area for about 12 months, said she had not even realised she had been nominated.

The 38-year-old said: “It was quite a shock, to tell the truth. I had no idea that anyone would nominate me.

“Barton has been a fantastic place to come and learn and I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. The main issues I’ve had to deal with are anti-social behaviour, parking, dog fouling and drug possession.

“I do not live in the area but I do understand the concerns here.

“Working in Barton has been a great opportunity to meet lots of good contacts and it goes without saying that I could not have won the award without the support of my team. Most people say that but I really mean it.”

Before becoming a policewoman she worked in financial services, while also being a volunteer special constable in Wiltshire Constabulary.

She moved to Oxfordshire in 2000 to be closer to her father, a retired army sergeant then stationed at Abingdon’s Dalton Barracks.

Before working in Barton, she was the force’s antisocial behaviour officer for Oxford, working with the Home Office.

The mum-of-one added: “Hopefully I’ll find out who has nominated me so I can personally thank them for the recognition.”

The decoration is part of Thames Valley Police’s community policing awards, which aim to recognise the efforts of neighbourhood policing teams, including police officers, police community support officers (PCSOs), special constables and volunteers who have made a difference to their community.

Nominations were made by members of the public through the force’s website.

Thames Valley Police assistant chief constable Richard Bennett said: “The Community Policing Awards is an opportunity to pay tribute to the important grassroots work that neighbourhood policing teams carry out in their communities.

“Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of the service that we provide in protecting communities and preventing and detecting crime.

“And nominations show a range of innovative and effective initiatives carried out by teams to address the concerns of residents. It is clear that these are greatly appreciated by the people we serve.”

An awards ceremony will take place at Eynsham Hall, near North Leigh, later this month.

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