Reward for our top cop
A top sportswoman who became a top police officer has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
A 1980s Silver Fern, Inspector Karen Henrikson is now the operations support manager for the Waikato District.
A policewoman for more than 30 years, in 2008 she was the first woman to be promoted to the rank of inspector.
Her packed resume includes helping set up the first Women’s Advisory Network for the Waikato, and she was involved in the recent 75th anniversary commemorations of women in the police service.
In 2012 she was named the ‘‘Most Outstanding Female Leader’’ the Australasian Excellence in Policing Awards, held in Canberra.
Henrikson also helped establish the Safety Comes First group in central Hamilton, which she now chairs. Through this initiative she has helped improve the safety of people in the city’s central business district at night.
Her honour was in recognition of her services to the police and the community, but Matamataborn Henrikson also has many sporting credentials that mirror her work with the force. The former Silver Fern and Waikato representative coached the Waikato provincial netball team, which won the national championship in 2006. As assistant coach of the Waikato NPC team, they won national titles in 1999 and 2000. in