In June 2009, an off-duty police officer, Sarah Lacy, along with four civilians successfully carried out the rescue of a man and his mother from their burning property. Despite an asthmatic condition, PC Lacy was able to evacuate the choking man and accompany him back inside the flaming building to get his trapped mother out. For her courage beyond the call of duty, Lacy was awarded the Regional Bravery Award for North East England in July 2010. Officer Sarah Lacy belongs to the North Yorkshire Police force, fine patrollers of England’s largest county.
The North Yorkshire police force was officially established in the spring of 1974. To some extent, it was a descendant of several police forces in the adjacent areas which contributed much to its present scope. At the current time, North Yorkshire Police is responsible for implementing the rule of law in the largest county in England. Its area of immediate concern extends approximately 3,208 square miles with a local population of about 813,000. The strength of North Yorkshire Police consists of about 1,460 police officers with more than 160 special constables supported by more than 1,000 staff members and almost 200 PCSOs. For mobility around its relatively vast area, North Yorkshire Police relies on its fleet of police vehicles.
North Yorkshire Police provides a variety of services to its community. An example of these is the “Crime prevention and safety advice” section of its official website, which is a collection of online resources on how individuals can help prevent crime. Also a part of its local community campaigns is its implementation of 18 Safer Neighbourhood Areas throughout North Yorkshire and the City of York. The force also looks to social networking in reaching out to the community. Accordingly, the force extends its presence through Facebook and Twitter. These efforts are directed towards one goal, to better serve the local community.
The people living alongside North Yorkshire Police can rest assured that officers like Sarah Lacy are just within their neighbourhood. These are officers who do not hesitate to go beyond their limits to ensure that the people they protect are served well.
