Throughout a dedicated 37 years in policing, coordinating responses to natural disasters and emergency management, Inspector Paul Hargreaves has navigated some of the most intense operational challenges in the North East.

So it’s fair to say when he received notification he had been named a recipient of the Australian Police Medal (APM) as part of the King’s Birthday Honours, the suspicious and safety-first instincts which had served him so well over the years kicked into full gear.

“I didn't fully appreciate what it was because I initially ignored the emails thinking they were a phishing scam,” he said.

“But when you do get that formal notification, it is quite unexpected.”

Insp Hargreaves, who lives in the Alpine Shire, was one of four Victoria Police recipients of the APM for his distinguished career which has seen him on the frontline of the force all over the state.

“To be nominated and to be endorsed by those around you is quite a humbling experience,” he said.

Insp Hargreaves has worked across emergency management, local area commands and most recently leading a specialist unit tackling farm crime including the theft of livestock and machinery.

Growing up around the North East, Insp Hargreaves began his policing career in Melbourne coming from a background in trades work around the area, and he couldn’t get out of the city soon enough.

“It's an environment that's probably not consistent with the lifestyle that I'm used to,” he said.

“The ability to build the relationships, the partnerships to understand your stakeholders is a lot tighter in the regional areas.

“You become very familiar with what is required in a community and how people operate, and I think that's where you can perform some of your best work and get some of the best results.”

After being stationed across almost all parts of regional Victoria, Insp Hargreaves returned to the North East in the 2010s and became a local area commander of the Wodonga Police Service Area before going into emergency management for the Hume region.

Insp Hargreaves said he has always enjoyed the emergency management side of policing, where he says he sees the best come out of people.

“They are exceptional times that, even though they may be lined with a lot of tragedy and trauma, you see the best in people,” he said.

“While not many people can see what's happening in the background, there are people out there working tirelessly to make sure the result is the most favourable.

“It provides you with those relationships, which I call trusted networks; you know you can rely on them in times of crisis to get things done for a better outcome for a community.

“To me, that's probably what highlights my career, the fact you can work alongside those people who stand up when they're needed.”

Insp Hargreaves has provided invaluable leadership during major North East incidents from Alpine rescues, floods to bushfires.

In December 2019 he worked alongside a handful of fellow officers to safely evacuate residents of Cudgewa when the tiny town came within the path of an out-of-control blaze.

“What police and fire agencies did around evacuations over that initial impact period was just amazing and no doubt it saved people's lives,” Insp Hargreaves said.

“And to be part of that is just a privilege really, to be able to work alongside others that have got the same commitment, the same focus, and looking for the same outcome.”

He also played a key role in the immediate response to the Porepunkah shooting in August 2025, where his calm, assertive directions ensured member safety and enabled an effective emergency response.

Insp Hargreaves said the dynamic nature of policing from day one in the field gave him exposure to scenarios the average person would never encounter.

“It teaches our people coming into this organisation that you have to remain calm, and the more familiar you become with emergencies, the calmer you can work in that environment,” he said.

“When you're part of that and you can influence that, and certainly where you've got a command seat at the table, it's quite satisfying in the end when you ultimately see no loss of life or you see things saved.”

For the past three years Insp Hargreaves has been the state coordinator of the Victoria Police Farm Crime Unit, based in the North East.

He contributed to the first DNA livestock prosecution in Victoria, and enhanced community and industry confidence through consistent media engagement and promotion of the unit’s initiatives.

“You're dealing with the real salt of the earth people,” Insp Hargreaves said.

“They're not the people that commit the crimes; they're generally the ones out there that are just doing their work day-to-day and when you see them or watch them experience crime, it's a privileged position of being to be able to try and assist them.

“Its uniqueness gives it character and again gives you the ability to build some really good relationships.”

Insp Hargreaves said as he has become a more senior figure among the ranks at Victoria Police, he is often asked if he would recommend a career in the police force.

His advice has never wavered.

“I would,” he said.

“If you're in for the experience of a lifetime, you're going to find that in this organisation.

“You cannot predict one day from the next, and what you can predict is you're going to work and confront things you never dealt with before, and you're going to learn a whole lot from doing it.”

Other Victoria Police officers to be honoured with the APM included Detective Inspector Dean Thomas, Assistant Commissioner Jane Welsh, Detective Senior Sergeant Danny Travaglini and protective services officer Sergeant Mohammed Shabbir Alam, who received an OAM.

Chief Commissioner Mike Bush congratulated the officers on their much-deserved honour.

“I am especially proud some of this year’s recipients are also being recognised for work outside of Victoria Police which shows just how committed our members are to making this state a better place,” he said.

“They are dedicated, they are determined and they do their work without seeking recognition or reward.”