On an annual basis the High Sheriff of Lancashire, who is also a member of the LANPAC Board, is tasked with examining all of the successfully funded Community Safety Initiative applications and the one considered to be the best is presented with the Shrievalty Rosebowl, in addition to a cheque for £100

This year's winner - PC Emma Turner

Emma receives her award from the High Sheriff, Dennis Mendoros and ACC Wendy Walker.

In the last two years PC Emma Turner was successful in obtaining funding from LANPAC to assist in protecting the vulnerable members of Blackburn’s community and also engaging with young people in the area.

Some of the money was used to purchase CCTV mobile units to protect vulnerable people such as the elderly, people with mental health issues and low-income families. One of the cameras reduced criminal damage down from 4 incidents to zero, clearly succeeding in the aims to increase confidence and to provide reassurance to the community.

Part of the grant also helped to provide diversionary activities for 28 young people who spent a day at Camelot Theme Park. The event was a real success, as all the children did not participate in any anti social behaviour in the run up to the trip and also for the remainder of the school holidays after the trip. The young people who participated also engaged in conversation with the neighbourhood policing team much more after the trip.

The rest of the funding was for the purchase of a wide and varied amount of crime prevention tools ranging from anti tamperproof screws to deal with thefts of number plates, UV property marking equipment and shed alarms were purchased for distribution. There was a decrease of shed breaks from 6 to none after each shed on a particular road was fitted with an alarm.

A memo minder for people with dementia was also purchased as one elderly lady had £12,000 stolen from her house after she let distraction burglars in the front door. This device had an infrared beam so when she went to the door and the beam was broken a message was read out to remind her to put the chain on and ask for ID etc.

Emma reported that the equipment she was able to buy greatly improved the quality of life for some of the vulnerable residents and she has no doubt that some of these devices have prevented them from further becoming a victim of another crime.