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New beat for Dudley’s top cop


The new top cop of Dudley Police is looking forward to her fresh beat - and this time it has nothing to do with her love of music!

Chief Superintendent Sally Bourner is aiming to start on the right note after taking up the reins as Commander of Dudley Neighbourhood Policing Unit.

The 50-year-old enjoys singing in her spare time and has previously performed with the City of Birmingham Choir at Symphony Hall, plus been lead singer with a five-piece band covering classics from Oasis, The Beatles through to Dolly Parton.

She knows it will be no 9 to 5! but her priority beat is the streets around Dudley; with Sally determined to quickly learn about her communities and making them a safe and secure place to live.

She said: "I am very excited after being given this opportunity and I can’t wait to get out and about to meet people across Dudley.

"My aim in the immediate weeks and months ahead is to learn about the issues that are impacting on our communities and what we - along with our partner organisations - can do to make a difference.

"I have been in the force for 28 years and one of the key reasons I joined was because I wanted to prevent crime and help people.

"That is still very much the same today and assisting those in their greatest hour of need will always remain a key priority."

Sally has had a varied career after starting out as a beat bobby in Birmingham, covering a wide range of roles across the city, Wolverhampton and Solihull.

These have included being part of the serious and organised crime unit and most recently being the head of Force Contact.

Sally has seen first-hand the recent record numbers of calls for service and is keen to urge the public to preserve the 999 line for real emergencies... and turn to WMP Online where appropriate.

She said: "Digital will never replace the human skills which are at the heart of policing but will enhance the force moving forwards.

"Clearly, when people are in danger or need to report a crime in progress they should be contacting the police immediately.

"But for non-emergencies or low level crimes like theft or criminal damage then this can now be reported on online and save people struggling to get through to a call handler and clogging up the lines when someone may need to get through more urgently. There is a wealth of information on WMP Online and something I am keen to help people across Dudley learn even more about."

Away from West Midlands Police, Sally enjoys reading and travelling in her vintage VW camper van called Betty.

But catching criminals and keeping Dudley safe will never fall too far from her mind. "This is a real privilege and honour for me to take up this role.

"I am hoping to use all my experience to make a difference and do the best for people in the borough... I am sure we are all singing from the same hymn sheet in wanting that!"

Follow Sally on Twitter @SalBWMP


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