COMMUNITY policing in Batley has a new man in charge.
Insp Ian Gayles is now running the Neighbourhood Policing Team which covers Batley, Birstall, Birkenshaw and Spenborough.
The role involves dealing with anti-social behaviour along with developing contacts and partnerships within the community.
He began his police career 15 years ago on the beat in Wakefield.
He moved on to Millgarth in Leeds as a sergeant in 2001 and a year later joined the Community Against Drugs Team.
The team worked predominantly in the Hyde Park, Little London and Woodhouse areas of Leeds and it is here that Insp Gayles got his first flavour of neighbourhood policing with street robberies, anti-social behaviour and drugs issues high on the agenda.
He was also involved in an award-winning anti-drugs campaign which saw a record number of anti-social behaviour orders issued in the Little London area which helped to disrupt drug-dealing there.
Insp Gayles joined Dewsbury police in October 2004 as a patrol inspector for the area. He said: "I'm looking forward to the new challenge of being part of the Neighbourhood Policing Team and dealing with grassroots issues which are of concern to local people."
Inspector Gayles, 36, is married and lives in the Wakefield area with his wife, who is also in the police, and two young children.
