Sharon Henley

“As part of my role, I am consulted by West Northants Council (WNC) on all planning applications for new development in the WNC area and I provide advice and recommendations on how to reduce the potential for crime and disorder. I liaise with developers, architects and builders to provide the same advice and recommendations for projects they are dealing with in my area. 

“I am an accredited police assessor for the British Parking Association Park Mark scheme and inspect and accredit car parks across West Northants as safe places to park. On the back of this I accredited one of the first nationally recognised HGV truck stops under the Park Mark freight banner.

“A typical day for me will involve a mixture of site visits to look at where a development will be located, researching the crime context for the site and providing written responses to applications.

“I initially applied for this role in 1994 when it went from being a police officer role to a civilian role. I had transferable skills from my previous role with a blue chip company, so I applied, was interviewed and got the job.

“I enjoy being empowered to get on with the job and making a difference to the built environment. I’m helping future occupiers of housing sites and commercial developments to have a better quality of life because they are not beset by crime and nuisance.

“One of the projects I’m most proud of is working on the Red Lion Truck Stop – a national exemplar for HGV parking which was designed and developed following an objection to the planning application. As a previous diesel fuel hotspot for crime the application for an HGV truck stop was initially not fit for purpose

“I worked closely with the local authority and the owner to provide a site with a layered approach to security including secure fencing, perimeter detection systems, a comprehensive monitored CCTV system, extensive lighting, signage and internal facilities. As a national exemplar it is used as a template by the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service for other schemes across the country.

“The lack of awareness people have about what we do and how valuable we are in terms of getting ahead of the game in terms of reducing crime can be frustrating.

“I strongly believe that policing should primarily be about crime prevention rather than firefighting on a daily basis. This role allows you to design out opportunities for crime and nuisance before a place is built. By ensuring fit for purpose security rated doors and windows are fitted, the opportunities for break ins and the availability of places to hang out and cause nuisance are reduced.

“Working for the police puts you into a difficult and challenging environment where you find out possibly too much about the darker side of life. That does however provide the main impetus for making sure I design out opportunities for criminals to make people’s lives hell.”

Carole Jones Crime Prevention Team Leader and Sharon’s supervisor, said: “Sharon has a wealth of knowledge and expertise. She is passionate and dedicated to doing the best she can to achieve safer communities. Sharon shares her expertise with colleagues and partners so that this is turn can help with safety.

“At a national conference facilitated by the Police Crime Prevention Academy, Sharon was recognised by the head of Park Mark for the exemplary work she did at the Truck Stop in Northamptonshire. The impact of her work in this is that the site is no longer a hotspot and a massive crime reduction was achieved.”

To find out more about a role in the Crime Prevention team and to view all our current vacancies, please use the link below.