Karen is pictured above being presented with her commendation by Chief Superintendent Paul Tinnion.

16 November 2007

Karen Lock, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s Arson Intelligence Officer, received a commendation at a Thames Valley Police excellence awards ceremony last night.

Karen and four police officers were commended for their professional investigation and dedication in tracking down and successfully prosecuting a serial arsonist who was subsequently sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. She was presented with a certificate by Chief Superintendent Paul Tinnion at the Latimer Conference Centre in Chesham.

Bryan Dugdale, Area Manager Safety, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “Karen and the police officers displayed great tenacity and determination in bringing this case to its conclusion.

“The quality and thoroughness of their work was exemplary. The case also highlights the benefits of the Arson Task Force, and the analysis of data and intelligence.”

Karen leads Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s Arson Task Force, which was set up in April 2003. It gathers, collates, analyses, disseminates and exchanges data, information and intelligence regarding arson and hoax calls in order to inform the appropriate police area intelligence teams, crime analysts and other agencies and appropriate partners.

This is designed to work on an inter-agency basis to detect, prevent and reduce arson and hoax calls and to provide evidence by which the police may bring the offenders to justice.

The Arson Task Force collates intelligence from incidents and completed arson report forms from fire crews, copies of incident logs from the control room and the arson incident bulletin every day. These sources cover fire incidents, suspected arsons and hoax calls. The information is then analysed, showing trends and “hotspots”.

It engages in targeted educational deterrence visits to schools to raise awareness of the potential consequences of deliberate fire-setting or hoax calls by pupils.

The Arson Task Force also supports Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service's community safety partnership managers and station managers in training local neighbourhood wardens and police community support officers on safety initiatives related to arson.

Karen is the second member of Bryan's team to receive a Thames Valley Police award. Last year senior data analyst Cheryl Jeffery received a commendation for her enthusiasm and energy in creating high quality analytical products that have assisted partners to identify and solve problems in the community.