A FORMER Tenby man was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for distinguished service in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Quinn received the award for leadership on Operation Safer Streets, Operation Crackdown and service to the policing of Lambeth A former pupil of Greenhill School, Tenby, Richard joined the Metropolitan Police in June 1975 and was posted to Notting Hill. After a brief period in uniform, he joined the CID and served at Chelsea. In 1980, he was promoted to sergeant and served at Marylebone and in 1981 returned to the CID as a detective sergeant serving in the West End of London. Two years later, he joined the Flying Squad at New Scotland Yard with responsibility for investigating and targeting organised crime (armed robberies) In 1989, he became part of a dedicated team responsible for investigating murder and linked series rape and in 1990 he was promoted to Detective Inspector. After a brief posting to Paddington, he returned to the Flying Squad In 1996, he was posted to Hammersmith where he was promoted to Detective Chief Inspector Three years later, he was promoted to Detective Superintendent with responsibility for investigating murder and leading and supporting Borough Command Units in tackling cross border crime. He was then transferred to the Serious Crime Directorate at New Scotland Yard with responsibility for investigating kidnappings and specific responsibility for planning and implementing Operation Strongbox, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) response to tackling volume crime. Then in January 2001, he was promoted to Detective Chief Superintendent with responsibility for planning and implementing Operation Safer Streets (MPS response to tackling and reducing robbery across London) and Operation Crackdown (MPS response to tackling street level and cross border drug trafficking). Just over a year later, in February 2002, he was appointed Borough Commander of Lambeth. Lambeth is the third largest BCU in England and Wales in terms of staffing levels and the second busiest in terms of the annual number of emergency calls. It also has a phenomenally high crime workload. Married to Vicky, Richard's mother Gertie and sisters Pamela and Jane still live in Tenby.