A police officer working in Runnymede has won a prestigious award after developing an innovative approach to drug dealing on an Addlestone estate.

PC Sami Halepota of Runnymede's Safer Neighbourhoods team, was awarded the Police Now and Student Officers category at the Tilley Awards 2021.

The award recognized his multifaceted approach to criminal activity and anti-social behaviour on an Addlestone housing estate.

Rather than using a single method such as blanket arrests of suspects, Halepota used an approach that brought in council, housing services, children’s services and the police "with support given to both the victims and the youth offenders".

Meanwhile, the group leaders were targeted with warrants, arrests, convictions, Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) and Child Abduction Warning Notices (CAWNs). Two group leaders were convicted of intent to supply.

"The young people involved were supported and diverted through intervention, alongside children’s services.

"Enforcement was used as a last resort, and included warrants, stop and search, arrest, CBOs, and a tailored use of ASB legislation to restrict their criminal activity and safeguard them against CCE," a Surrey Police spokesperson described.

Surrey Police said the operation led to a "steady decline" in activity relating to the group members.

There were also no further crimes reported in relation to the groups since July of last year, plus "50 per cent reduction" in reports of anti-social behaviour on the estate.

"This was a holistic problem-solving approach, delivered in partnership with other agencies but driven by PC Halepota when he was in his first year with us on the Police Now scheme," Chief Inspector Mark Offord said.

"The operation has led to lasting change with a significant reduction in crime, and in delivering this, PC Halepota demonstrated a level of performance far beyond that which we would expect at his level of experience."

"It was a pleasant surprise to get the email saying this operation had won the category!" Halepota said.

"While it’s great for the safer neighbourhood team to get this recognition, importantly we have safeguarded vulnerable young people from CCE and put systems in place that will continue to do so in the long term," he added.

Halepota, a Pakistani Muslim, previously spoke candidly of the fear people in his community have of law enforcement in the post-9/11 world, and said he hopes to change policing in his own way from the inside.

"People in that community including myself view the police from an angle of fear, that's linked to the post-9/11 environment where Muslims are instantly seen as suspects," he told the Police Now organization.

"For example you go to an airport and get stopped for no reason.

"Coming from that community was a challenge and a lot of people didn't understand why I would do it.

"There's always two sides to the story and personally I believe that I would rather try and give my voice to that community and try and change it from the inside rather than be on the outside in fear of it."