Fighting crime and keeping people safe is why Sergeant Jamie Millard joined Derbyshire Constabulary at the age of 20.
He wanted to make a difference in Derby, and the 45-year-old is keen to reflect on his already successful career.
“No shift is ever the same and a typical day doesn’t exist,” he says. “But do I love my job? Yes, I do. And is there still a lot to do? Yes, there really is.”
For the last ten years, Sgt Millard has been in charge of the Derby City Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), and work is extremely busy. Preventing and detecting crime is top of the agenda for him and his nine-strong team – but the demanding role doesn’t stop there.
He said: “To succeed, we must embed ourselves in the heart of the community and build relationships with everyone.
“But we can’t do it on our own and that is why partners like Derby’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), their Rangers, Derby City Council and the Derbion play such a vital role in what we do.
“It is a team effort, and we work extremely closely with a whole list of agencies to keep crime at a minimum and things like drugs and anti-social behaviour off the street.
“We are dedicated to maintaining a professional footprint in the city and pride ourselves on the visible presence we provide in Derby. We know that this helps to deter anti-social behaviour and it brings peace of mind to shop owners and the general public.
“To succeed in the job, we’ve got to strengthen relationships with everyone.
“We also take a pro-active stance on tackling offenders that cause the most on street visible antisocial behaviour and crime to Derby city centre and we like nothing more than chasing them down and putting them before the courts.”
Sgt Millard has worked in various positions across Derbyshire Constabulary but heading up the city’s SNT with colleague Sgt Jonathon Sharp, is a role that has definitely got under his skin.
He loves the fast pace, the teamwork and says engaging with people is just as important as enforcement because the results can bring a much better and longer-term solution. Talking to people and being proactive when you are out and about in Derby, he says, is how to encourage the community to report their concerns to the police.
During March, April and May, Sgt Millard and his team made 278 arrests in Derby city centre, seized 13 weapons and 50 illegal e-bikes and scooters. During the same period, they arrested individuals for dealing mamba and crack cocaine and seized stock from illegal perfume sellers in the city. The city’s SNT also arrested people with class A drugs in their car and seized a bladed article, mobile phones and drug-associated equipment.
During another operation, the team made arrests at a brothel and seized suspected anabolic steroids and cannabis.
Sgt Millard explains: “Every city has its challenges, but I know that extra patrols see incidents of anti-social behaviour drop and our targeting patrols have had great results.
“Our patrols, which involve a combination of officers patrolling in plain clothes and high visibility uniforms, have resulted in offenders being taken off the street and drugs and weapons being seized. The successful Shopwatch, which is a community-based crime prevention scheme promoting communication between retailers and local police, has also reported a reduction in robberies and thefts from city centre businesses.
“My team are the absolute best, and everyone works their hardest to make a positive impact in Derby. We collaborate with other partners to respond to rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour but our focus on neighbourhood regeneration in the city is key.”
Moving Derby City Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) back into the city is something Sgt Millard campaigned for and he says being back in the heart of Derby has supported the work they do. Within just a few minutes, the team can be out dealing with an incident, on patrol or taking part in a covert operation.
“This is what we all love,” he said. “Being out and talking to people, building relationships and focusing on delivering targeted support.
“Of course, days can be enormously tough, and I can list a whole host of really difficult days but that’s when we lean on each other and our family for support.
“For me, I go home to my wife and four kids, and I throw myself into family life. I also go to the gym and kickbox to switch off.
“But when I’m in my uniform, you’ll see a police officer with a smile on his face wanting to help people and do his very best for this city.
“I have always wanted to make a difference in Derby and we are certainly working hard to bring down crime. I want to be clear that activity such as drug offences, anti-social behaviour and thefts are not welcome here.
“We can’t be everywhere, but we try our hardest to target and bring to justice those who cause the most harm. We also listen to the concerns of the public and make sure together we look at long term problem solving for issues that affect the communities the most.”
Brad Worley, BID Manager for Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter, said: “Sergeant Jamie Millard is a huge support to us and the businesses across the city.
“We work closely with the Derby City Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) and they do an amazing job to help keep our city safe.
“People like Sgt Millard deserve to be recognised for the work he does because, like many of us, he wants to make Derby a better place.”
