Borough police chief awarded major honour at Kings Honour's List

Chief Superintendent Emily Higham has been awarded a King’s Policing Medal (KPM) for services to policing.

Throughout her 28-year-career, she has focused on securing better outcomes for victims, keeping people safe and fighting, preventing and reducing crime – particularly serious organised crime.

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Emily Higham was appointed to help bring GMP out of special measures (Image: GMP)

In 2017, Chief Supt Higham became the first female Detective Superintendent in the Serious and Organised Crime Unit. With her oversight, gun crime reduced significantly and weapon seizures increased. Her leadership of the North West Regional and Organised Crime Unit saw it become the best rated in the country.

In 2019, she won the British Association of Women in Policing National Leadership Award and went on to international success in Alaska.

After being appointed as the District Commander in Wigan and Leigh in 2020, Chief Superintendent Higham helped to lead the Force out of special measures with a focus on neighbourhood policing and getting more bobbies on the beat.

Under Ms Higham's leadership, the local Force has closed thousands more open cases compared to the special measures spell, while also cutting anti-social behaviour in half around Leigh town centre.

Officers have cut anti-social behaviour in half in Leigh town centre and closed thousands more cases (Image: GMP)

Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “Chief Superintendent Higham is a dedicated police officer who has always retained an obvious relish for putting criminals on the back foot.

"Whether through her long experience of tackling serious and organised crime or as the District Commander for Wigan, she has sustained an infectious desire to reduce crime, safeguard the vulnerable and to achieve better results for victims and communities.

"She is a credit to Greater Manchester."