A new senior police officer with a track record of bringing down crime and anti-social behaviour has taken up her post in Huddersfield.

Supt Helen Brear, who has more than 25 years’ experience in the force, is pledging a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to persistent offenders.

The new superintendent takes charge of neighbourhood policing in Kirklees and will head up the district’s new Catch and Control Team dedicated to tracking down wanted offenders.

Supt Brear will work under the district’s new divisional commander Chief Supt Jim Griffiths, who became the top officer in Kirklees in January this year.

Supt Brear said: “I’ve been delighted to take up my position as a superintendent in Kirklees District and have a focus on improving policing and cutting crime in our local communities.

“I’m really conscious of the misery persistent offending such as anti-social behaviour, theft and violent crime can cause on our streets and am working with the neighbourhood policing teams and our partners to build on the significant work they have underway to continue reductions in this type offending.

“Our new Catch and Control Team will provide a really significant new resource for us in hunting down those known offenders out there committing crimes of this kind, and those on prison licence who refuse to rehabilitate.

“Throughout my career I have operated a zero-tolerance practice for repeat offending and the new team has been created to crack down on exactly that.”

Supt Brear started her career in Bradford as a patrol officer and also worked in Leeds. She progressed through a number of roles in both districts, including as a detective in CID and child protection, rising through the ranks to inspector.

She spent several years in Wakefield and during her tenure in Wakefield city centre her team secured substantial falls in crime and anti-social behaviour. They focused on prosecuting repeat offenders who were making lives a misery.

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Supt Brear also implemented the first Smartwater City project in West Yorkshire Police. This initiative led to a 21% reduction in burglary and a 55% reduction in drink-related anti-social behaviour.

Aside from policing in districts, Supt Brear has also worked at force headquarters in the force’s Criminal Justice Support Unit where she delivered a force-wide review of the suites, which led to a complete refurbishment and more effective communication and engagement with victims.

Supt Brear on a visit to Huddersfield Ukrainian Club

Before her new posting to Kirklees she was based at the force training school at Carr Gate, where she was responsible for helping attract and recruit a new generation of police officers representative of West Yorkshire communities.

Supt Brear also was responsible for mobilisation of Citizens in Policing during Covid, and was incredibly proud of the outstanding work that the Special Constabulary undertook in delivering in excess of 90,000 duty hours to support the wider team and ensure operational demands were met.

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She added: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my 26 years working across West Yorkshire Police in a variety of roles but it is a pleasure to once again be working as a district officer serving residents.

“There has been some outstanding partnership work ongoing with our key stakeholders and our local communities in which to make communities safer and make residents feel safer. I will ensure that we keep driving that progress in 2022 and beyond.”

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