The biggest crooks in Orange might not know Alison Carr, but she knows them. The intelligence analyst sees more of our region's underbelly than almost any other civilian.
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Working behind the scenes for NSW Police, Carr uses the latest in digital technology to reveal patterns, connect dots, and predict criminal activity before it happens across the Central West.
"We look at who's in town, who may be moving through, who may be committing crimes within the area and we support the senior management team with stats and figures," she told the Central Western Daily.
"We start early and review everything that's happened in the last 24 hours. We look at any pockets of crime that may be happening and we redirect police into those pockets of crime.
"Let say we're having a spate of break-and-enters in North Orange, we'll say to the night crew: 'It's happening in that place and at these times, this is where you need to be'."
Carr is privy behind the curtain to a world of criminal activity across the Central West most residents rarely catch a glimpse of.
"I can't really talk much about those ... [there was] one drug matter down in Cowra where we got a substantial amount of cooked methamphetamine. There's lots of others still before court," she said.
Carr was raised in Orange but entered police work at Mount Druitt in Sydney. She returned to the Colour City about 10 years ago, and remains employed as a unsworn Intelligence Analyst.
"It's the outcomes ... we're helping the community. Making them safer ... It's a great [feeling] knowing you've managed to lock someone up," she said.
This week her decades of service - and that of about 40 others - was recognised with the NSW Police Medallion during a ceremony at Uniting Church on Anson Street.
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