Officers awarded for Urdu classes

Chief Inspector James Troisi along with town magistrate Ghulam Rasool Shazad who taught the class and Mushtaq Ahmed, chairman of Rochdale Council of Mosques presenting the 12 police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) from the Kingsway and Milkstone and Deeplish wards with the awards

Officers from Rochdale South Neighbourhood Policing Team have been given awards after taking part in a series of basic Urdu classes.

The six-week language course that started on 1 August was held in community centres across the Milkstone and Deepish areas. They were designed to help improve officers knowledge of the culture and to strengthen links with the local Asian community.

Chief Inspector James Troisi along with town magistrate Ghulam Rasool Shazad who taught the class and Mushtaq Ahmed, chairman of Rochdale Council of Mosques presented the 12 police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs) from the Kingsway and Milkstone and Deeplish wards with the awards.

Chief Inspector Troisi, said: “Learning the language of the community our Neighbourhood Policing Officers serve is a great way of understanding and better serving the people.

“I now hope to see the skills they have learned in the classroom being put to use when out and about in their day to day policing.”

The classes were held at Castlemere Community Centre, Deeplish Community Centre and Sparth Bottom Community Centre all in Rochdale. The team is now looking to plan further courses.