A WELL-RESPECTED Dales police officer is retiring this month after 29 years of service.

After working in agriculture and forestry, a young Julian Sutcliffe opted to join North Yorkshire Police, attracted to working in rural environment. Eleven years ago, his background and love of nature saw him appointed one of the force’s specialist wildlife crime officers, a role he undertook additional to his normal workload.

Appointed as the beat manager at Leyburn in 2013 and responsible for the vast Yorkshire Dales, this dual role meant he had one of the largest beats in the country.

PC Sutcliffe has enjoyed a good working relationship with agencies such as the RSPB, RSPCA and the Yorkshire Dales National Park. He also highly regards the work by volunteer groups such as Dales Farm Watch and Swaledale Mountain Rescue.

He said: “Much of the time of a community police work is misunderstood; it’s not the most glamorous of jobs but can be very rewarding.

“Individually everybody has a small team but when we all work together it becomes a big team with different skills which we can put to good use.”

Like his contemporaries, PC Sutcliffe took his role as a wildlife crime officer incredibly seriously. Aiming to attend every report involving wildlife, he believes there are many misconceptions about what is and what is not legal. Able to give advice, educate and if necessary take enforcement action, he is often disappointed when an investigation does not result in a merited prosecution due to lack of evidence. However he feels their involvement makes offenders aware that their actions are being scrutinised.

He said: “It puts pressure on the small minority who believe they can get away with this type of crime.”

Over the years PC Sutcliffe has seen many changes to policing with the introduction of protective equipment and bodycams – when he joined mobile phones and emails were unknown.

After 29 years in the job and experiencing Foot and Mouth, hunt protests and a plethora of tragedies, culminating in the strangest year of all enforcing the Covid 19 restrictions, he will miss his colleagues and being part of a team.

Now PC Sutcliffe intends to spend more time with his family, two dogs and his hobby of discovering lost artefacts.

Friend and colleague for many years Inspector Mark Gee said: “Julian has been a fantastic public servant for 29 years. He will be a greatly missed by the Dales community. I along with all our colleagues wish him well in his retirement.”