A Preston Police Constable is among thirty-three people to have been recognised for her outstanding contribution to Lancashire Police at the Chief Constable’s Commendations evening.

On Tuesday 18 October, PC Karen Graham, a community beat manager for Preston Neighbourhood Policing Team, was presented with the George Herbert Redman award at Lancashire Police Headquarters in Hutton.

The George Herbert Redman Trust assists in the preservation of public order and in the protection of lives and property of the public by promoting a better public understanding of the work of Lancashire Police and fostering improved relations between police and public.

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PC Graham was responsible for creating Operation Wolf in 2020, a pro-active operation set up to tackle the financial exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

She identified Preston-based criminals who were targeting vulnerable males and exploiting them out of significant amounts of money – PC Graham devised a multi-agency referral system which identified victims, offenders and locations of these crimes. It led to 12 arrests, 17 convictions and eight prison sentences.

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The community beat manager focuses and aims to reduce rate of crime in the Avenham and Frenchwood boroughs.

Her recent endeavour included submitting a project as part of the Neighbourhood Team, by providing a Frenchwood community group with security products.

The area has been experiencing issues with crime and anti-social behaviour, and the donation made this month is a way to improve links with the local community and make them feel safer in the long-term.

The project was partly funded by Lancashire Partnership Against Crime.

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Chief Constable, Chris Rowley, said: “Every single day our police officers and police staff play a significant part in keeping the people and communities of Lancashire safe.

“However, there are occasions when a team or individual makes such an outstanding contribution towards our policing vision that they should rightly be singled out for special recognition.

“As Chief Constable, I was proud to host the commendation evening, to recognise and say thank-you to officers, staff and members of the community who have gone ‘above and beyond’, or who have performed extraordinary acts of bravery to serve our community.”

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