ONE of Barnard Castle’s longest serving police officers has bid farewell to the dale after 14 years.
PC Garry Dunn described it as “the end of an era” as he left Teesdale last week.
Mr Dunn, 38, became a police constable in Barnard Castle in 2004 following a transfer from Bishop Auckland where he was stationed as a probationary constable. He was based in the heart of the dale until he was struck with a bout of ill health last year.
Mr Dunn had little choice but to hang up his “panda keys” and return to the Bishop Auckland base. He remained there until recently as part of the offender management unit.
Speaking of his duty time in Teesdale, Mr Dunn, said: “My first job ever was a report of hundreds of blue bottle flies in a vacant shop window on The Bank. A tourist visiting Barney thought someone had died. It turned out to be a dead bird down the chimney.
“It never ceased to amaze me how friendly the folk in the dale were and how much local information I could gather because I became recognisable.
“When I was first stationed in Teesdale I spent many day shifts on foot patrol in the town. I eventually built up quite a few tea stops on my rounds. A year later, I was given a set of panda keys and my list of tea stops grew.”
Mr Dunn has now been stationed at Durham where he started in his new role on Monday, March 5. He will be working as a youth offending team officer, managing a large number of young offenders from across the county. PC Dunn will work alongside civilian police staff and other agencies visiting young offenders at home to monitor and assess their progress. The aim of the youth offenders team is to steer the young people away from crime.
Mr Dunn said: “The pressures on police budgets throughout the UK during my service have resulted in me leaving a very different place compared to when I arrived. I have served with some great officers over the years, some real characters. I’ve been in some weird and wonderful situations and I’ve witnessed the best in folk and the very worst.
“It sounds a cliche but I can honestly say it has been an honour to serve in Teesdale. I have made several of the dale’s residents my friends and still keep an eye on who’s doing what where I can.
“The countryside was my playground as a child and I wanted to work there when I grew up, so combining work with where I enjoy being most was a dream come true. Although I am looking forward to joining the youth offending team, I am sad to leave the dale.”
