TEESDALE’S new neighbourhood sergeant says she can’t wait to get to know the community after describing the patch as the best in the force area.
Sgt Angela Drasdo has joined Barnard Castle Police as a replacement for Sgt Simon Rogers who retired last month. She is the dale’s
first female neighbourhood sergeant and has come to the dale after spending the past 16 years as a response office in Darlington. The mother-of-two, who is married to a police officer, says she loves the great outdoors, dog walking and keeping fit.
Sgt Drasdo, 50, said: “I do think this is the best part of the force’s area. It’s a completely different style of policing. I want to get to know the community inside and out. Response officers don’t really have the time to devote to those issues.
“After a few weeks I can already see how tight-knit the community is. It’s one of the safest places to live and work and I want to play my part in keeping it that way. I’ve got a lot to learn about the area so I’ll be out and about as often as I can. I’ve already experienced how people here are keen to speak to police officers – that’s great.”
Out of uniform, Sgt Drasdo says her Rhodesian ridgeback pet dog keeps her busy on long walks. She’s also a keen runner and has been a fitness instructor for 25 years, although her classes have been put on hold during the pandemic. “I like to be in the outdoors and in the fresh air with the family, so Teesdale is a fantastic place to work,” she said.
Sgt Drasdo said she already has a few community initiatives up her sleeve and is working on developing Rural Watch – the rebranded Farm Watch initiative – and is looking forward to linking up with farmers, landowners and gamekeepers. She has already been working with PCSO Preet Singh to develop a shopwatch system using What’sApp to provide police information to businesses.
Insp Ed Turner said: “I am delighted to welcome Angela to the team and know her wealth of knowledge and experience in policing will be invaluable in helping residents in the dales.”
